Jared Leto Would "Definitely" Play The Joker Again If Asked

Suicide Squad has something of a mixed reputation. I think we can all agree the story sorta falls apart on itself in the end, but it did extremely well at the box office, and as I'm fond of mentioning it won a friggin' Oscar. Despite centering on a team of villains it wasn't too far removed from other superhero movies, with the exception of Jared Leto's divisive take on the Joker who looked like he escaped from an Insane Clown Posse concert.

There hasn't been much demand for him to reprise the role in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, and since he's busy starring in Sony/Marvel's Morbius the Living Vampire it's unlikely to happen. That said, Leto would be open to it happening someday if the situation was perfect.  He tells Variety...

"I would definitely play the Joker again. It all depends on the script and the circumstances as it always does." 

There had been some talk of Leto's Joker and Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn starring in a movie together, but with her taking the lead in Birds of Prey that project was dropped. Asked if he'll make an appearance in Birds of Prey, instead, Leto replied "I don’t think so. You’d have to ask them...Well, we’ll see."

That sounds like a "no."

For some reason, Leto was also asked to talk about Joaquin Phoenix's take on the Joker, admitting that he hasn't watched the trailer. Further, the interviewer wanted his opinion on why WB/DC hasn't matched Disney's Marvel movies, replying "Oh I think it has. Just ask Jason Momoa." 

He's referring to the $1B success of Aquaman, which is probably the best and most sensible answer to give.  That he's being asked the question at all, while he's shooting a Marvel film for Sony, is what I find dumb.

We'll see Leto next in Morbius on July 30th 2020.

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New 'Gotham' Teaser Reveals Their Version Of Joker And Nope, Not Diggin' It

I don't watch Gotham anymore. One season was enough for me. What little TV coverage we do here we found some time to recap it, and that had nothing to do with me. So I'm not going to judge how Cameron Monaghan has been during the years of teasing his character's eventual transformation into the Joker. I'm just going to say that I don't like the way this version looks.

It's April Fool's Day but this first look at the Joker in Gotham is not a prank. Sporting the textbook purple suit, thinning hair that may have been plucked straight from Jack Nicholson's head, and a face that resembles old drywall, this has me wishing for the return of Jared Leto's gangsta Clown Prince of Crime.

I don't think Joaquin Phoenix needs to look over his shoulder or anything.

Criticism aside, as Gotham heads into the final season we're not only getting Joker, but li'l David Mazouz is finally tall enough to start playing Batman. Awwww.

Watch the Gotham teaser below. And let me know if I should play catch up.

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'Joker & Harley Quinn' Writers Describe Film As 'Bad Santa' Meets 'This Is Us'

With all of the seemingly random projects littering the DCEU you'd be forgiven if Joker & Harley Quinn slipped your mind. Already we have Margot Robbie and Jared Leto's maniacal duo appearing in Suicide Squad 2, while she also has Birds of Prey casting up now, and he has a solo Joker movie in the works. But there's also that Todd Phillips/Joaquin Phoenix Joker film that has nothing to do with anything. It's all really weird right now, and that doesn't even touch on the Batman/Superman situations, which may require entirely new stars in those roles.

So the Joker and Harley Quinn movie understandably has fallen through the cracks, but it is apparently happening. Or at least writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa are talking to Metro like it is, and that their script for it is already finished.  The screenwriting pair have a long track record with Crazy Stupid Love, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Focus, and more. However, it's their past on the vulgar comedy Bad Santa and NBC weeper This is Us that has inspired their take on the DC Universe's psychotic couple...

“The whole thing starts with Harley kidnapping Dr. Phil. Played by Dr. Phil hopefully. Because [she] and the Joker are having problems with their relationship. We had so much fun. I don’t know if we have had more fun writing a script in our career.”,  Ficarra said.

It's unclear if he was being serious there in describing the opening scene, but it sounds pretty crazy. My gut telsl me Ficarra feels free enough to give something like that way is for two reasons: either it's not true in the least, or he knows the movie isn't ever going to happen. In any case, he goes on to mention their work on Bad Santa and This is Us and how that influenced their approach...

“It was sort of like, we wrote ‘Bad Santa’ a couple of years ago, and it was that sensibility mixed with our ‘This Is Us’ sensibility. We kind of meshed them together. We were doing a relationship movie but with the sensibility of a ‘Bad Santa,’ f***ed up, mentally deranged people. It was a lot of fun.”

More to my earlier point, when asked Requa and Ficarra don't sound like they know when the movie will get a green light. My guess is "never", but we shall see...

“I don’t know where it is on the queue of DC movies,” Requa insisted. “We handed the script in and everybody loved it, but I don't know when they are going to do it,” added Ficarra.

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Joaquin Phoenix On Playing The Joker And How It Scares The Sh*t Out Of Him

Although his name has been attached to Todd Phillips' Joker movie for months, Joaquin Phoenix was by no means a sure thing. He's been up for comic book movies in the past, most notably Marvel's Doctor Strange, and it's never worked out. That's over now with Warner Bros. greenlighting the origin story for Batman's greatest nemesis, in the process confirming Phoenix's casting.

So what won Phoenix over this time? After playing coy for so long he actually opened up a little bit to Collider, and revealed the role terrified him so much he had to take it....

“I take a lot of time and consideration when making decisions and what I’m gonna work on always. So, in some ways, the process, which is obviously reading a script and meeting a filmmaker and then continuing to have meetings and discussions with Todd [Phillips]. I think he’s very impressive and he seems to have a very interesting understanding of this world and what he’s trying to say. And so there is something very appealing about that and working with him on this particular project. It feels unique, it is its own world in some ways, and maybe, mostly, it scares the [frick]ing shit out of me or something. It might as well be the thing that scares you the most.”

He adds that another factor in his decision was a desire to star in a lower budgeted comic book film, one with a singular focus...

"Three or four years ago, I called my agent and said ‘Why don’t they want to take one of these characters and just make a lower budget film about it, a movie but a character study, and why not take one of the villains?’ And I thought, ‘You can’t do the Joker, because, you know, it’s just you can’t do that character, it’s just been done.’ So I was trying to think of other characters, and he said ‘I’ll set up a general meeting with Warner Bros.’ And I said ‘I’m not gonna go, I can’t go to a general meeting.’ So I completely forgot about it, and so then I heard about this idea, I was like, ‘Oh that’s so exciting, that’s the kind of experience I wanted to have, with a movie based on a comic character.’ I felt like you could get something on screen.”

While the prospect of Phoenix playing the Joker is exciting, having multiple Joker movies with different actors (Jared Leto's version is still out there) isn't an idea that fans have taken to yet. For Phoenix, he doesn't sees the film as different from anything else Warner Bros. is doing, and that seems to be a big part of the attraction...

"I think, underneath the excitement of these films, and the size of them, there are these incredible characters that are dealing with real life struggles. And sometimes that is uncovered and exposed, and sometimes it isn’t, and so I always felt, like, there were characters in comics that were really interesting and deserve the opportunity to be kind of studied. And so I think that’s what Todd sees appealing about this idea."

Hopefully more details emerge in the coming days, especially if Phoenix shows up at Comic-Con for the big Warner Bros. panel. 

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Joaquin Phoenix's 'Joker' Origin Film Is Happening, September Shoot Confirmed

As tends to happen in the days leading up to Comic-Con, the biggest news you'd expect to drop in Hall H have been revealed early. THR confirms Warner Bros. has greenlit a Joker origin movie directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix.

While there is a Jared Leto version of Batman's arch-nemesis lurking in the DCEU already, and with a solo movie apparently in the works, Phillips' version will be a standalone film as part of a completely different banner. Set in the 1980s and co-written by Phillips and Scott Silver, it will be a gritty, criminal drama about how the Joker rose to power in the Gotham City underworld. This will be a much smaller movie compared to others in the DCEU, with a reported budget of around $55M. Production will begin this September.

The start date should offer up plenty of time to figure out exactly what this movie is going to be. Martin Scorsese's name is mysteriously absent from the latest update, odd because he was so prominently attached before and clearly an inspiration for the project's tone. Will the rumored Robert De Niro be involved? And what about any connections to Matt Reeves' Batman movie?

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Joaquin Phoenix's Joker Could Crossover With Matt Reeves' 'The Batman'

The Joker is an important character in DC Comics lore, but there's no way Warner Bros. should be spending so much time figuring out what to do with him on the big screen. Their plans have been muddled at best, with solo movie starring Jared Leto's verison of the character seen in Suicide Squad, a possible appearance in Birds of Prey, past rumors of a Harley Quinn/Joker movie, and lastly a standalone origin story starring Joaquin Phoenix that would be part of a completely different label. It's unnecessarily complicated, but now we're hearing a report that suggests a more focused direction from DC Films going forward.

According to Forbes' Mark Hughes on the Superhero News Show, Warner Bros. may have Phoenix's Joker also be part of Matt Reeves' The Batman. Hey, it makes sense.  There have been shifting stories regarding Reeves' film. One day it's part of the core cinematic universe alongside Justice League, the next it's part of this separate banner for standalone movies. Hughes also casts doubt on Leto being the Joker for long if Phoenix really works out...

“I think Joaquin Phoenix is playing the Joker in a standalone film, that will possibly wind up not being standalone, as the situation evolved with the solo Batman movies and the future of the DCEU shapes up. I haven’t heard anything firm, but I’ve heard certainly whispers from several people that I’ve talked to about that project… so now it looks like there’s going to be that project and I have heard from a few people that there is talk of if [the Joker] movie is really going to go forward and if it’s really that good, if we’re rebooting Batman anyway, he’s going to need a Joker. We can’t use preexisting Jokers. So, we either have Jared Leto showing up as the Joker in some sort of sequel movie, and a Joaquin Phoenix solo Joker movie, and then we have to have another Joker. Wouldn’t it make more sense to take a Martin Scorsese-produced Joker with Joaquin Phoenix and wait and see if it works out, then just cross that and have that be the Joker for the new Batman?”

Honestly, it sounds like Warner Bros. may use The Batman as a backdoor reboot of the entire DCEU. That would cause some interesting ripples in films like Wonder Woman 1984, Aquaman, and so forth. But really, would anybody miss Leto's Joker? I kinda liked him, but if he was written out I wouldn't shed a tear over it.  Mainly I'll just be happy when ANY decision is made and we can stop all the guesswork.

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Rumor: Robert De Niro Sought For Joker Movie With Joaquin Phoenix

With everything going down at DC Films over the last few months, one project that has remained a priority is Todd Phillips' Joker origin story set in the 1980s. The film looks to have Joaquin Phoenix all sewn up to play the Clown Prince of Crime with Martin Scorsese listed as a producer, making this a project of enormous potential if done right. Now rumors are beginning to emerge about what we can expect, including a possible major casting move teased by That Hashtag Show. Judge accordingly.

The site confirms what we already knew, that this Joker will be set in an alternate Elseworlds-esque universe from the DCEU. What they add is that it could create "an entirely new Joker mythology", meaning it wouldn't follow anything from the comic books. I don't see why that would be a problem since Joker's origin has been retooled numerous times over the years, just as most DC Comics characters have been.

A character breakdown was also listed, and there isn't anything truly interesting in it except for the role of Murray Franklin, a 65-75 year old Caucasian male that Robert De Niro may be eyed for. Makes sense considering his long relationship with Scorsese that has produced classic films like Goodfellas, Raging Bull, and Taxi Driver, the latter said to be a tonal influence on Phillips' Joker movie. This is also one of those rumors that sounds too perfect, like it was made up because of how plausible it would seem.

For the full character breakdown just go here.  Production on the Joker film is to begin in September, so expect details soon. As always I say to look forward to Comic-Con for major updates.

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New Details On Todd Phillips' Joker Prequel, The Flash's Solo Film, And The DCEU's Future

After being burned by the DCEU repeatedly, some may be skeptical about this new direction that's being taken. That's fair, but there's also plenty of reason to be optimistic. Wonder Woman was a step in the right direction, and while Justice League took a giant step backwards, creative shakeups in its aftermath promise a more fan-friendly approach rather than Zack Snyder's dark and gloomy. We're already hearing good things about James Wan's Aquaman; Wonder Woman 1984 has a fun retro vibe goin' on; and Matt Reeves' The Batman is moving on from Bat-fleck. And yet there's still a lot more to come.

Part of THR's report on Reeves' film includes some small but important updates on Todd Phillips' Joker movie, and a solo film featuring the Flash. So let's start with the Joker film, which is proceeding ahead even though another one starring Jared Leto is in the works. Warner Bros. is launching a parallel brand of standalone movies, possibly branded "DC Dark" or "DC Black", that Phillips' film will be part of. Joaquin Phoenix appears to be confirmed to play the infamous Bat-villain, with shooting set to begin this fall at a budget of only $55M. That's on the low end of superhero movies and I'm assuming most of the films in this banner will be modestly-priced.

As for the Flash, Ezra Miller is still ready to suit up as the scarlet speedster, but gone is somber tone that surrounded it when announced as Flashpoint nearly a year ago. With Game Night directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein on board, the film is taking a Back to the Future-style approach that will play with time travel in a way that's more crowd-pleasing. Production will kick off early next year.

With Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Suicide Squad 2, and more, new DC Films chief Walter Hamada has a lot on his plate.  "He walked into a sh**show, and he's trying to clean it up", one insider noted about the heavy workload facing Hamada. Part of his "specific plan" to fix things is to stop announcing and dating movies so far in advance, an irritating practice DC Films had that I've bitched about a lot on this site. It never led to anything good, only frustration by fans who want information on movies that were going nowhere. We also won't be seeing Warner Bros. establishing any writers rooms, which became popular a few years ago but have produced mixed results at best. Ask Paramount what their writers room did for Transformers: The Last Knight. 

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Jared Leto's Joker Movie Won't Stand In The Way Of Todd Phillips's Origin Project

There can NEVER be enough Joker movies!!! That's apparently the thinking over at Warner Bros., who confirmed yesterday plans for a movie featuring Jared Leto's wildly unpopular version of the Bat-villain. So what does that mean for the other Joker movie, the origin story that may or may not star Joaquin Phoenix? It's still very much on.

Deadline confirms the news, stating that the film, which will fall under a totally separate "origins" banner, will move forward with Todd Phillips directing. Martin Scorsese is reportedly involved as a producer, although Phoenix hasn't confirmed he'll star. He'll probably back out, just watch. There will be no connection between the two Joker movies, which I'm sure will be very easy for audiences to understand and follow.  I get it when two studios make similar movies at the same time, but why would Warner Bros. deliberately cut themselves off at the knees like this? It just makes no sense. 

Leto's Joker will also likely return for Suicide Squad 2, which goes into production next year.  None of these projects are close to starting production. So how much do you want to bet they all get going at roughly the same time? Doesn't that sound like something Warner Bros. would do?

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Jared Leto's Joker From 'Suicide Squad' Is Getting His Own Movie For Some Reason

If you scoffed just at the headline then you probably already know where this post is going to go. Warner Bros. can't seem to figure out what to do to make the DCEU work, and they are content to just throw Joker/Harley Quinn shit at the wall until something does. Their latest brilliant move is to give a solo film to Jared Leto's Joker...yeah, the gangsta version nobody seemed to like very much from Suicide Squad. Makes sense??

Variety has the details, although they're pretty slim at this point. Leto will star in and exec-produce which will be "paving the way" for more Suicide Squad spinoffs. Okay, THAT part actually does make sense. While we know Wonder Woman is the one true success story of the DCEU, not far behind is the villain teamup movie with $746M and at least one breakout character in Robbie's Harley Quinn. Leto's Joker was not popular by any means.

How many movies with these characters does Warner Bros. need, anyway? Originally there were plans for a Harley Quinn and Joker film, but that seems to have vanished to focus Robbie on Birds of Prey and other spinoffs. And let's not forget the totally separate line of standalone movies that will include a Joker origin film directed by Todd Phillips and produced by Martin Scorsese. Rumors are Joaquin Phoenix will star in that, but your guess is as good as mine at this point.

All of this ignores what seem like dozens of other movies that have been mentioned, rumored, announced, shelved, delayed, whatever. But one has to wonder who in Warner Bros. thinks it's a good idea to give a movie to arguably the least popular character in Suicide Squad (other than Enchantress) when so many others exist? Deadshot, maybe? I'd kill to see Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang get a run on his own. But Joker? No thanks.

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Joaquin Phoenix Isn't Denying 'Joker' Movie Talks, But Still Won't Confirm Them

Joaquin Phoenix has been getting hounded to star in a superhero movie for years, and every time it wasn't worked out. Could that change with Todd Phillips' upcoming Joker origin movie? Phoenix's name came up for the role a couple of months ago, but expressed total ignorance when asked about it in a recent interview. Now he's changed up his tune a little bit, and has decided playing coy is the best way to go.

Speaking with Fandango, Phoenix says the Joker role is "interesting", but wouldn't admit that he's even in negotiations or anything...

“I don’t know… it could be an interesting character, I don’t know", he said mischievously, or at least the journalist read it as mischievous.  Phoenix went on to add...

“I see it as any other movie. I wouldn’t say… “I won’t do Westerns.” It depends on what it is. I don’t really care about the genre, I care about the character and the filmmaker. If you have the ability to transcend the genre, then that’s what you want to do. So I wouldn’t say, hands down, no – I wouldn’t do that kind of movie. There are things where I’ve flirted with the possibility where there was the potential for this to be… something that’s actually interesting to me. But then for whatever reason they never got to that place where everyone else feels the same way. And that’s key. Everyone has to want to explore the same thing or else it just doesn’t f**king work. I’m not opposed to it. I don’t make decisions on budget or things like that – it’s really the filmmaker and the character.”

If this were just your normal everyday Batman movie then certainly Phoenix wouldn't do it. This is different, however; an origin story that casts Joker as a failed comedian who turns to a life of crime. It's based loosely on Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy, and even boasts Scorsese as a producer. Something tell me the chance to work with Scorsese could be the difference-maker in getting Phoenix to sign on the dotted line.

Next up for Phoenix is his terrific vengeance thriller You Were Never Really Here, followed by Gus Van Sant's Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot which opens this summer.

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Tommy Wiseau's Joker Is Basically Wiseau Doing Bat-Cosplay

Would someone let me know when Tommy Wiseau has faded back into relative obscurity? The bizarre cult filmmaker behind The Room, now given greater life thanks to James Franco's The Disaster Artist, has been riding the popular wave for months, and with the film set to hit Blu-ray soon he has been everywhere. His latest stunt/gimmick to gain attention has been asking to play the Joker in a Batman movie. Hey, he has to be better than Jared Leto, right? Well...no. As it turns out he's not better, and we have definitive proof.

Nerdist hung out with Wiseau and let him have his moment to shine, capturing him in a 3-minute audition tape as the Clown Prince of Crime. The performance is straight garbage and makes you appreciative of EVERYONE who has ever played Joker. It's loud, shrill, and at least to me it comes across as manufactured crazy, not legit bonkers.  Basically this is just Wiseau doing cosplay. Make that Wiseau and Greg Sestero doing cosplay. His Batman is kinda funny for being so lame, not gonna lie.

Check it out, and pray Warner Bros. doesn't get so desperate as to actually cast Wiseau in anything. Knowing them they just might.

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Todd Phillips' Joker Origin Movie Draws Inspiration From Two Classic Sources

When Martin Scorsese's name was attached early on to Todd Phillips' Joker origin movie, it only made sense if we thought Leonardo DiCaprio was being sought to star in it. But we know that's not the case, and although Joaquin Phoenix denies knowing anything about it, he's the guy reportedly in talks for the role. But now a new report from The Wrap sheds light on another reason for Scorsese's involvement.

Apparently, Phillips' storyline will have the Joker portrayed as a failed comedian in the 1980s who becomes a crime boss in Gotham, bearing echoes of Scorsese's The King of Comedy. It's also very similar to Alan Moore's classic graphic novel, The Killing Joke, considered by most to be the definitive Joker origin story. In the comic, Joker is a standup comedian who has a really awful day, and turns to crime just to be able to feed his family.  Phillips is co-writing the script with 8 Mile writer Scott Silver, and the film is expected to be outside of DCEU continuity for some strange reason.

I get that DC publishes comics outside of continuity all of the time but movies are different and so is the audience. There's no reason why this storyline couldn't have been done within the DCEU. But it's hard to argue with names like Scorsese, Phillips, and Phoenix. Audiences may not understand why this Joker isn't being played by Jared Leto but they'll show up for a DC Comics film with those names attached.

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Joaquin Phoenix May Not Know Anything About That Joker Movie He's In Talks For

Uhhhh...I know things are seriously jacked up over there at DC Films, but is it so bad that they're making offers to actors without letting them know about it? Earlier this month we heard Joaquin Phoenix was in talks to play Joker in a standalone origin story that would have nothing to do with Jared Leto's version of the Bat-villain. It's a terrible idea for a movie but the casting of Phoenix is a good way to rectify it, however it doesn't appear that the actor knows anything about it. Either that or he's already gotten into character and is playing the trickster with our emotions.

Here is the awkward sequence from his interview with Allocine [via ThePlaylist] for Gus Van Sant's Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot...

Untitled Joker Origin Story Movie
Joaquin Phoenix réagit à la rumeur concernant sa future incarnation du Joker

So basically he seems completely befuddled at the idea of a Joker movie and that he's involved with it. Again, Phoenix has been known to pull our legs so he could be doing that here. Or more likely it's that Warner Bros. hasn't given Todd Phillips the thumbs up to make an offer yet. What this tells me is that it's highly doubtful we see Phoenix in the role, but maybe I'm wrong.

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Todd Phillips's Joker Movie Lands Joaquin Phoenix As Batman's Greatest Enemy

While DC Films' standalone Joker movie has always sounded like a sketchy idea, when Leonardo DiCaprio's name was floated to star we at least knew the aims were going to be high. DiCaprio may have been an attempt to shoot the moon but the second option is pretty damned sweet, too, and he actually said yes. Joaquin Phoenix, go ahead and scratch that comic book itch, buddy.

That's right, Joaquin Phoenix is in talks to play the Joker in Todd Phillips movie that will center on Batman's iconic nemesis. This will be something of an origin story, a gritty crime drama set in the 1980s. It all sounds like some sort of Martin Scorsese movie, which may be why Scorsese was sought to produce at one point. That's not happening, though, and the story will come from a script co-written by Phillips and Scott Silver that will fall into a new banner of DC Comics movies disconnected from the Justice League cinematic universe.

As for Phoenix, he's finally scratching that itch he's had since he was close to starring in Marvel's Doctor Strange and as Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman.

This slams the door shut on Jared Leto reprising the role for Phillips, although the actor is still expected to don the makeup for Suicide Squad once that gets going.  [Variety]

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Jared Leto Doesn't Understand Warner Bros.' Joker Plans, Either

Warner Bros. has allowed an ugly narrative to emerge about their plans for upcoming DC movies, and that's one of complete and utter confusion. It's bad enough that all of this news hit at once about multiple Joker movies, one an origin story that may star Leonardo DiCaprio, another a Joker/Harley Quinn spinoff of Suicide Squad, which itself has a sequel in the works that would also feature the Clown Prince, but it's even worse when the talent has no idea what's going on. Enter Jared Leto, who is just as left in the dark as the rest of us.

While attending the launch party for the Destiny 2 video game, Leto was asked about all of the Joker goings-on, and he doesn't know what the deal is...

"I’m a little confused too. Yeah, there are a couple of things happening in the DC world."

What may be most telling is what he says next, implying that maybe the Joker should be played by multiple actors. That would seem to run counter to the idea that he was upset another actor was taking on the role...

"I love the Joker. He’s a great character and really fun character to play. But it’s a big universe and when you play the Joker, there’s no ownership there. You have the honor of holding the baton for a little while and then passing it off. There are other films that are in development and I’m excited to see what comes from them."

If Leto has no idea what's going on, then that should tell you to think twice about any reporting out there about this stuff. Clearly DC Films and Warner Bros. are flying by the seat of their pants and I expect there will be wholesale changes that occur multiple times.

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Leonardo DiCaprio Eyed For Joker Movie That Jared Leto's Unhappy About

Warner Bros. is up to sumthin, and they aren't even being that sneaky about it. Last week we learned that Martin Scorsese was in line to produce a Joker origin movie that Todd Phillips would direct. It turns out, according to THR, that his deal isn't quite in place yet so that was a bit premature. But they also note that the reason they want him so badly is because it may entice a certain actor to sign on.

You know who the actor is, of course. It's Scorsese's frequent collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio, who Warner Bros. wants to play Joker. It's the stuff of fanmade dreams coming true! Maybe.  I think it's doubtful DiCaprio agrees to this, no matter who is directing. Even if this gives him a chance to put his own spin on the character outside of Jared Leto's version because, remember, this film will be outside of DCEU continuity. In fact, the trade says the story will put Joker as a crime boss in a gritty Scorsese-esque Gotham underworld, which is a far cry from the "bullied schoolkid" rumor from yesterday.

Meanwhile, the entire plan hasn't exactly been met with applause by Leto, who doesn't want any other Jokers out there other than his from Suicide Squad. Of course, he'll still stick around to play the character in the Harley Quinn and Joker spinoff, but Warner Bros. wants them to know he's really unhappy about seeing the character spread thin.

He's not wrong, at least not in my opinion. The decision to start an entire line of standalone movies with different actors and different versions of popular characters is a curious one, that I think will serve to water down the brand and alienate audiences. It's a way of separating Warner Bros. from Marvel's approach, but is that really worth it? There's already confusion out there over Ben Affleck who won't be starring in Matt Reeves' The Batman, which may or may not be in-continuity, despite his playing the character in this November's Justice League.

That this much discussion needs to be had is entirely the problem. You don't ever see this kind of thing out of Marvel Studios. They keep it simple to understand, and thus easy to buy a ticket for. You think DiCaprio doesn't see that, too?

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MMA Fighter Is Spreading Rumors About The Joker Movie

There's a game of Telephone going on with this rumor regarding the Joker origin movie being put together by Todd Phillips and Martin Scorsese. So take it with a grain of salt; that and because it comes from random MMA fighter Brendan Schaub on a random episode of Joe Rogan's podcast. But if it turns out to be true, it promises to be incredibly divisive.

Schaub, who happens to be friends with Phillips' agent Todd Feldman, revealed to Rogan some details about the Joker movie that he heard, and they're a little unexpected...

"My boy Todd Feldman put this together with Todd Phillips. It’s dark. It’s like a dark Joker. As a kid, he had a permanent smile and everyone made fun of him. It’s like on the streets of Brooklyn. It’s super dark and real.”

I don't know how "real" that sounds, but it's definitely different and probably a good thing to be outside of DCEU continuity. That said, I don't put a ton of faith in what Schaub has to say because the project is so early on and will likely evolve without his knowledge. I think by the time it gets made, IF it gets made, it will be part of the DCEU and look very differently than what Schaub suggests here.

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David Ayer Out As Harley Quinn/Joker Movie Replaces 'Gotham City Sirens'

Hello. You've stumbled upon DC News 24/7 and I'm your host, Travis Hopson. I don't know who dropped the tornado in the middle of the DC Films office but the amount of news, some of it surprising, some of it awful, all of it kinda nuts, has been head-spinning. And yet it's still not done, as it looks like Gotham City Sirens has lost a director but gained a new lease on life.

In The Tracking Board's piece on Glenn Ficarra and John Requa directing the Harley Quinn/Joker movie, they note that it has replaced Gotham City Sirens, which Suicide Squad's David Ayer was going to direct. They say that Ayer is now out and won't be directing any DCEU movies, but I wonder how accurate that is. With Suicide Squad 2 getting fast-tracked and in need of a director, one wonders if Ayer will get a phone call.

I doubt 'Sirens' as an idea is gone, though. The film was to have Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn alongside other female characters like Poison Ivy and Catwoman. You know Warner Bros. is itching to get them on screen, so either they get worked into a different film, like Suicide Squad 2 which may be a nice fit, or they become part of his Harley Quinn/Joker storyline. Either way could work, but whatever they choose just stick with it, okay? Sheesh.

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'Crazy Stupid Love' Duo To Helm Harley Quinn & Joker Movie

It's about to get weirder over at Warner Bros. and DC Films, and honestly it's going to be a pain keeping up with whatever the Hell they're doing over there. Remember just before Comic-Con there was that rumor of a Harley Quinn vs. Joker movie? Well, it looks like it's true according to THR's sources, and it even has directors in John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, the duo behind NBC's This is Us and Crazy Stupid Love.

Come to think of it, "Crazy Stupid Love" could be a subtitle for the psychotic relationship between Joker and Harley Quinn. This wouldn't be such a big deal story if we hadn't just learned of a Joker movie that is outside of the DCEU continuity and will feature an actor other than Jared Leto. But this one exists within the Justice League/Suicide Squad canon and will bring back Leto and Margot Robbie. Ugh!

The film will arrive some time after Suicide Squad 2 and is being described as a "criminal love story", which makes sense. I imagine a True Romance-type atmosphere is what they'll be gunning for.

The report also says “this strategy will distinguish Warners’ superhero movies from those of competitors, namely Disney, which has a highly interconnected Marvel universe of films as well as Star Wars.” And that much is true and perhaps the one exciting aspect of all this. However, Warner Bros. may have been better served letting this flurry of bombshell news trickle out rather than hitting us all at once.

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