Jared Leto Eyed For The Joker in Suicide Squad?!?

If the rumors play out to be true that Jared Leto Eyed As The Joker in Suicide Squad then his has big shoes to fill following the late Heath Ledger.

CelebNMusic247.com has just heard that Thirty Seconds To Mars frontman is the front runner for Marvel’s Suicide Squad when he makes his comic book movie debut.

Here is what TheWrap [via Collidar] is reporting on Jared Leto playing the Joker:

Apparently Leto is being eyed to play The Joker in director David Ayer’s (Fury) DC Comics adaptation Suicide Squad, which also has Tom Hardy, Will Smith, and Margot Robbie in various stages of negotiations to star.

Leto is circling a key role in Suicide Squad “that could prove to be The Joker.” Not the strongest of language there, but the report does add that when Ryan Gosling was mentioned in connection with Suicide Squad, he was being sought to play the part of The Joker. Gosling wasn’t keen on signing a deal with options for multiple movies so he passed, but it appears that his loss just might as well be Leto’s gain.

It’s no secret that Leto really wanted the leading role in Marvel’s Doctor Strange, with many reports saying he was pursuing the part. Joaquin Phoenix was initially in talks for the Marvel picture, but when he dropped out Leto once again entered the conversation. Now that Benedict Cumberbatch is in talks to lead Doctor Strange (Marvel reportedly wanted a “more established star”, though I don’t see how Cumberbatch is more established than Leto), Leto was once again out of the running. However, Warner Bros. came knocking with quite the role, should The Wrap’s report pan out.

For those unfamiliar with Suicide Squad, the DC comic revolves around a team of antihero supervillains who work for the U.S. government, undertaking dangerous missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences. The picture is set as the first DC adaptation after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Warner Bros. is obviously aiming high in the casting department. In addition to Hardy, Smith, and Robbie possibly taking on lead roles, we recently learned that Jesse Eisenberg may reprise his BvS role of Lex Luthor in the film as well.

Leto, of course, is coming off of winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar last year for a fantastic performance in Dallas Buyers Club. He took a lengthy break from acting in order to focus on music (he’s the frontman of 30 Second to Mars), but has been no doubt very much in demand following his Oscar win. With his interest in Doctor Strange and now Suicide Squad, it’s clear he’s keen on making the move to franchise pictures.

Heath Ledger casts a long shadow with his seminal portrayal of the famous Batman villain in The Dark Knight (for which he was awarded a posthumous Oscar), so if Leto is indeed eyeing the role of The Joker, he’s got a mighty challenge ahead of him.