Though Ben Affleck may be done playing the Batman for DC, the guy who plays his onscreen nemesis is a lot more welcome to a comeback. After a short stint as the Joker in Suicide Squad and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Jared Leto says he would be open to playing the Clown Prince of Crime again.
Talking to Variety, Leto was asked about playing the Joker back in 2016, to which he replies, “That role was an opportunity of a lifetime… And I got a chance to do it twice.” When he was asked if he was open to taking on the role again for Warner Bros, Leto said, “Never say never.”
Back when the DCEU was starting, it looked like Leto and Affleck were signed on for another epic clash as the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince, but some serious studio meddling has led to a franchise overhaul, and the original plans were left on the cutting room floor.
If anything, Suicide Squad director David Ayer has been very open about wanting to release his version of the film, and he promises that Leto’s “true” Joker performance was never seen by the public, and that it would have been better received compared to what we got in the theatrical cut.
With Leto not really having the time to take his characterization of the Joker to the next level, he adds, “For me, [the characters I play are] like living, breathing people… I know they’re not, of course, but I get attached. It’s a shame to never do it again.”
For now, it looks like WB is very keen on sweeping ‘The Snyderverse’ under the rug, but if Zack Snyder’s Justice League can get released, fans are hoping that #ReleaseTheAyerCut can work too.
In the meantime, you can catch The Batman now in theaters.
