Superhero fans revere their creative properties and hold the big screen adaptations of their favorite paneled characters to incredibly high standards. This is why the entire Internet responded with joint skepticism when it was announced that the Joker character would be appearing in David Ayer's "Suicide Squad" next year. A new Joker just eight years after Heath Ledger put the definitive stamp on the character in "The Dark Knight?" Warner Bros. was seemingly wading into dangerous territory.
However, when the reins of the character were handed to Jared Leto ("Dallas Buyers Club"), hard core fans began to come around. When the film's trailer dropped at San Diego Comic Con, it was met with cautious optimism. Now, with stories of Leto going full-blown method with the Joker, palpable excitement surrounds this new iteration. Even "Suicide Squad" star Will Smith is excited, as he says he has yet to even interact with the real Jared Leto.
"[Suicide Squad] is insane," Smith said while on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show. "I've never actually met Jared Leto. We worked together for 6 months and we've never exchanged a word outside of 'Action!' and 'Cut!' I literally have not met him yet. So, the first time I see him will be 'Hey, Jared. What's up?' He was all in on the Joker."
That's a ringing endorsement from one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Obviously, Smith would never bash a co-star. But he also doesn't need to go out of his way to compliment the performance, which he did.
Leto will give fans an entirely new version of the Joker in "Suicide Squad" that will stand apart from the universally praised portrayals of Ledger and Jack Nicholson. Will it be good enough to add to the pantheon of Joker performances? We'll just have to wait and see.
