Skip to main content

Jared Leto's Joker Solo Movie - Situation Review

Last night it reported that actor Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club, Blade Runner 2049) would not only be acting but producing a Joker Solo film for the DCEU. The reaction to the news has been divisive over fans. Some fans are willing to give Leto another shot whilst others do not wish to see Jared Leto ever wear the Make-up ever again. However, I believe the situation is a little more complicated than people are saying. And, to be honest, more complicated than it really should be.

Leto's Joker

Personally, I think a Jared Leto Joker movie could be quite good. Leto's Joker was quite interesting and very different from other interpretations of the character. Also, I imagine Leto wants to do the character justice. Whilst I believe Suicide Squad did lay a foundation for a good interpretation of the Joker it also held Leto's performance back. With re-edits and poor direction really tying the character down. And audiences noticed this in the final edit of the film and turned on Leto as a result. Because, remember, fans were actually quite excited to see his performance in the run-up to Suicide Squad's release. So I strongly believe that if Leto were given a different director and a stronger script then he could give a brilliant performance, which this solo movie could provide.
   However, on the flip-side, I'm unsure as to whether Leto's Joker should get his own film just yet. As I already said, Suicide Squad really held the character back so we didn't really get to know him. With even quite a few audiences detesting the performance. So, whilst a solo film could flesh out the DCEU's Joker, is it really something that the audience would really be interested in? Luckily, The Joker will be featured in other DCEU projects, perhaps too many but some are mainly just rumoured, so hopefully, Leto is able to win some fans over to his side with the projects before this one even begins production.

Suicide Squad 2

Leto has been reported to return in Suicide Squad 2 (2019, Gavin O'Connor). A film that DC is hoping will redeem the brand after the first film disappointed a lot of critics. I think this sequel could do a lot to fix The Joker if he is returning in this film. Gavin O'Connor (Warrior, The Accountant) is a very good director, The Accountant is one of my favourite modern action films, and I believe he can improve on what was established in the first film, including The Joker!

The Joker/Harley spin-off Movie

It's a little unclear as to whether this movie is still in the works or not, particularly after the Harley Quinn/Birds Of Prey movie was announced. But I do like this idea. In Suicide Squad it felt like the Joker was side-lined to make room for Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) so a film that centres on their relationship could definitely do the Joker wonders. The Joker and Harley relationship has always been interesting. It's a great analysis of domestic abuse, both psychological and physical. The Joker constantly hurts Harley and she forgives him almost instantly. But in the films, they have a slightly different dynamic. The two are more like a psychotic Bonnie And Clyde, with both characters loving each other. There is still elements of domestic abuse (Joker did leave Harley at the bottom of a river) but it would be fascinating to see that relationship more developed on-screen. So, if I were to have a Joker film, I would probably want this project.

The Batman

The other project that fans are hoping that the Joker shows up in is The Batman (Matt Reeves) as, whilst the relationship between Harley and Joker is popular, the relationship between Batman (Ben Affleck) and Joker is more so. It's been around since the 1940's! The two are the perfect polar-opposites of one another and their rivalry hasn't gotten old. Plus, the DCEU's Batman and Joker haven't properly shared screentime yet! These two are both very different from other interpretations of their characters in other films. The two need to have at least one scene together! Even if The Joker isn't the primary villain! It would do Leto wonders to share screen-time with Ben Affleck's Batman. As it would strengthen his role as the Joker.

The Other Joker Solo Movie

I'm honestly surprised that this movie is still in the works. Particularly after this announcement! The Joker Origin Movie that is going to be directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover, War Dogs) and produced by Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Mean Streets) will not be a part of the DCEU and will instead be a part of DC's Origin label, which they plan to do for other DC characters. I've expressed my displeasure with this project. Mainly because DC runs the risk of making their movies too confusing and having competing versions of the same character in the same medium. DC already has enough competition in terms of film franchises as it is. They don't need in-house competition! So I would strongly urge for this project to be scrapped. Especially now that Leto is trying to get his own Joker Solo movie.

Conclusion

Overall, I think a Joker Solo movie featuring Jared Leto's version of the character could work, as I strongly believe that Leto wants to make-up for how the character was treated in Suicide Squad. However, I really do think he needs to feature in at least one of the projects listed above in order to win over some fans and make the solo project more of a bankable commodity. And I strongly suggest getting rid of the elseworld solo movie!

So those are my opinions on the Joker Solo film. What do you think of the news? Are you for or against Leto's Joker having his own film? Please leave a comment down below. And, if you liked this post then you can follow this blog for more content. Thank you for reading. :)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Auteurship: David Fincher

The Auteur theory is that a director's film reflects the director's personal creative vision.  I am going to use  David Fincher as an example, because he usually has similar aspects throughout all of his films such as bleakness of a setting; several single frames that flash, low-key lighting and characters that are in the shadows so you can’t see their faces. All of these styles can be found in Fight Club (1999). In most of Fincher’s films the settings seem to have a bleak and uninteresting look to them. In Fight Club this is shown in places like the office of where Jack works, the cancer support group hall, Jack’s apartment. All of these places are just different shades of the same colour (mainly green, grey or dark orange). This is to convey a sense of misery and darkness within the storyline, which the characters are just drifting through their lives. Something that Fincher portrays beautifully in Fight Club. This is a good example of David Fincher’s position as an Au...
13 comments
Read more

Oz: The great and Powerful Review

When I first heard that this film was being made I was very skeptical. The Original film with Dorothy and the wicked witch was an important part of many people's childhood that it seemed that this prequel couldn't live up to it. But after seeing it at the cinema my skepticism was laid to rest. This film is AWESOME!!!    The film follows a similar structure narrative-wise to that of the Wizard of Oz. You start off with in Kansas where everything is in black-and-white, keeping to continuity, then you have the twister that takes the character to the land of Oz. The audience is then introduced important characters like Theodora and Evanora, we even get the journey down the yellow-brick road. The writers have brilliantly taken all these elements from the previous film and used them to create a contemporary origin to the Oz that children were introduced too in 1939.    James Franco was well cast in this role as a rude and selfish magician who w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Trailer Highlights

Star Wars: The Last Jedi New Poster So Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) comes out in December and we're only now getting the second trailer, just two months away from the release date. Either Disney has seriously dropped the ball on the promotional campaign or they're just so confident in this film that they feel it doesn't require a lot of publicity for fans to get excited about. My guess would be the latter. Since the past two Disney-Produced Star Wars films have both raked in a combined total of $3,124,280,897, It'd be safe to say that Disney would think that. However, right before the trailer was released last night, director Rian Johnson (Looper, Brick) suggested to fans that they should avoid this trailer. WHAT?! What kind of a marketing tactic is that?! Perhaps if you wish for fans to avoid spoilers then you should urge the marketing campaign to avoid them at all costs. Initial Thoughts Yeah! This trailer has me more intrigued about the story than ever, ...
Post a Comment
Read more