Although Wonder Woman and Justice League lead the charge for 2017 in DCEU, all eyes are on the rumors about Joker and the spin-off films for this character. Discovering the origin of Joker will be interesting. More of Harley Quinn is warranted given the bits we saw in Suicide Squad.
It seems like Warner is interested and Jared Leto would have to get another chance to go method, alienating his co-stars.
But DiCaprio is rumored to play the Joker in the origin film, a film without Leto and a different tone. But DiCaprio’s as the Joker is not sitting well with Leto according to The Hollywood Reporter:
“Insiders say, Jared Leto, the actor who portrayed the Clown Prince of Crime in last summer’s Suicide Squad and is slated to reprise the character not just for a sequel but for another spinoff movie (with DC villainess Harley Quinn), was caught off guard by the plans. Leto is said to have made his displeasure with the notion of multiple Jokers known to his CAA agents, and rival agency WME has been using the concern to court him.”
The DiCaprio rumor and Leto’s unhappiness are only reports, but it makes sense that an actor would feel threatened if their role was being recast.
Having a solo DC Comics film alongside the main extended universe is common sense. The idea of multiple Jokers fits in the background set up in comics like DC Rebirth. Joker’s origins have been “multiple choice”. Just like we have seen different versions of Batman films, there is no reason why this could not happen with new films.
We will have to wait and see if it is a sticking point for Leto. He may even end up playing the character in both the films and make this a totally moot point.
