Brow Beat

Jared Leto’s Joker Is the Stuff of Nightmares

When Suicide Squad confirmed its cast in December, fans immediately began speculating about how Jared Leto would tackle the challenging, storied role of the Joker. Details have been scarce, but on Friday director David Ayer tweeted our first look at the villain. Behold:

We should’ve expected this from Leto. The actor finds real delight in radically changing his appearance—see Fight Club, Mr. Nobody, or his Oscar-winning turn in Dallas Buyers Club—so it’s not too surprising that his Joker is a startling, near-unrecognizable vision of terror. Initial reaction has been mixed, but I dig the look: it’s not like Jack Nicholson’s kooky, suit-clad portrayal, nor like Heath Ledger’s grungy, menacing interpretation, but it still seems true to the character’s rough-edged lunacy. In fact, Leto’s Joker seems flat-out insane, rocking tattoos, chrome teeth, and chemical-green hair that make him look like the unholy offspring of the Insane Clown Posse and a zombie. Suicide Squad is out next year.