Two weeks after its theatrical debut, Warner Bros. is still basking in the success of Todd Phillips’ Joker. Despite having no connections to the DCEU and drawing only minimal influence from its comic book source material, the Joaquin Phoenix-led movie has earned mostly positive reviews and continues to smash box office records. With this, it’s understandable that Jared Leto might be upset over not getting to reprise his Suicide Squad role from 2016. But apparently, the actor went so far as to attempt to have the film scrapped completely.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Leto wasn’t a happy camper when Warner Bros. chose to move forward with Phillips’ movie. Sources allege that he first complained to his agents at CAA, the same agency that represents Phillips. Additionally, he went to Irving Azoff, who managed Leto’s music career at the time. Leto reportedly implored Azoff to reach out to the studio’s parent company in an effort to “kill” the Martin Scorsese-inspired take on Batman’s archenemy. Much to the actor’s dismay, Azoff declined to make this call.
Leto’s camp is currently denying the report and Warner Bros. refused to comment on the matter. Regardless, this isn’t the first time we’re hearing that Leto wasn’t keen on Phillips’ Joker. In another story published earlier this month, THR revealed that he felt “alienated and upset” when the movie was greenlit.
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Given that his Suicide Squad screen time was shaved down to about 10 minutes, it makes sense that Leto would want another shot at playing the character. It also doesn’t help that his future in the larger DCEU seems nonexistent. James Gunn has strongly implied that Leto won’t appear in The Suicide Squad. Plus, it’s still not clear if he’ll show up in Birds of Prey.
However, one of THR’s sources has a more definitive take. They suggest that the Oscar buzz surrounding Phoenix’s performance in the new film hammers the final nail in the coffin for Leto’s portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime. In other words, it sounds like Leto mailed a dead pig to his Suicide Squad castmates for nothing.
“How do you play the Joker you established following [Phoenix]?” the source mused. “It kind of ends his Joker run.”
What do you make of Jared Leto’s efforts to kill Todd Phillips’ Joker? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
