There’s a bit of intrigue in Hollywood at the moment. There are rumours that Jared Leto is a bit angry about the announcement that Warner/DC is working on an origin movie for The Joker. That’s because despite Leto playing the role in Suicide Squad and being attached to a couple of spin-offs, he won’t be part of this new, standalone movie that’s in the works.
Some wondered though whether the reason Warner wasn’t involving Leto was because the origina movie would be about a much younger version of The Joker/Jack Napier. That doesn’t seem to be the case though, as THR reports that the studio is attempting to woo Leonardo DiCaprio into playing the role, who’s only three years younger than Jared.
It’s not known how interested DiCaprio might be, but it’s suggested that one of the reasons Warner wanted Martin Scorsese involved as a producer is because it might make it easier to land the actor. THR adds that the, ‘chances of landing DiCaprio could be slim to none. But the attempt in itself sends a signal to talent that Warners wants to hire serious filmmakers to make serious films.’
The probability is therefore that Leo won’t be in the film, but it’s certainly an interesting possibility.
With DC’s film universe not being the unmitigated critical and commercial success Warner Bros. obviously hoped it would be (the only exception being the all-conquering Wonder Woman), it appears the studio is now looking to how it can explore and use some its iconic characters away from the interconnected universe – even if they’re already involved in that wider series. Indeed, it sounds as is rather than aping the Marvel movies, Warner/DC is now hoping to be more like what Disney/Lucasfilm is doing with Star Wars.