Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the superhero movie world is Jared Leto's upcoming portrayal of the Joker in next year's "Suicide Squad." Given the reverence with which the character is treated and the astounding performance Heath Ledger gave in "The Dark Knight," fans have been waiting with bated breath to see what Leto can do.
In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, the method actor opened up about the role and what it took for him to rise to the occasion.
"I took a pretty deep dive," Leto said. "But this was a unique opportunity and I couldn't imagine doing it any other way. It was fun playing those psychological games. But at the same time, it was very painful, like giving birth out of my prick-hole."
As you can see, Leto may have adopted some of the Joker's more graphic imagery since filming wrapped.
The actor revealed that to prepare, he would listen to 1920's music at night and read literature on Shamans. He jokingly said that he was under the "impression that Joker may be older than people think."
Fan reaction to Leto's Joker has been mixed given the character's stark departure from previous iterations. The tattoos and grill haven't gone over smoothly with all segments of the fan base. To this, Leto said he wanted "something different. If you don't break the rules, you're not going to strike new ground."
Director David Ayer also spoke to the differences in this version and how he stands out compared to past imaginings.
"The Joker is the third rail of comic book movies," Ayer said. "There's a power to that character, and by some freaking miracle, through the incredible things Jared has done and the photography and all the other millions of things that went into it, we've cooked up something transcendent. He's scary."
In that case, we can't wait to be frightened.
"Suicide Squad" will hit theaters on August 5, 2016.
