The New Clown Prince in the Suicide Squad

The late, great Heath Ledger may have stunned us with his portrayal of the laughing prince of darkness, The Joker in The Dark Knight, but the actor’s early demise has left fans crying for more. However, as a new caped crusader to be introduced, so is a fresh one of the Clown Prince, which movie goers will be privy to with the debut of the Suicide Squad in 2016.

It has already been revealed that the Dallas Buyer’s Club actor, Jared Leto is to play the Joker in the live action movie. Judging by the first image of the actor’s first depiction as the dark prince, not many fans will be disappointed. Granted, the new version is significantly different from Ledger’s version, but the new bad ass and ripped Joker might just be what the Suicide Squad need.

For those who are unaware, The Suicide Squad is a team of super villains freshly freed from prison for a price – to go on black ops missions as deemed by the government. Since they are notorious baddies, their life or death does not seem much of a concern for the latter. However, they are promised a lower prison sentence if they do said missions, risking life and limb while at it.

Joker is considered one of the members of the squad, but he does not make much of an appearance in the comic books; his lover/henchwoman Harley Quinn makes up for his absence. Perhaps DC wishes to give this one more air time and judging by how much muscle and/or fat Leto gains before filming begins in earnest, we will know soon enough. It’s actually no surprise why the notoriously elusive actor decided to take up the role as soon as it was offered. Leto based the character’s unique characteristics and chutzpah as some of the main reasons that attracted him to the role.

With Ben Affleck’s new take on Batman received with mixed feelings, Leto certainly has some pretty big shoes to fill if he is to match Ledger’s take on the satirical and dark super villain. The latter’s depiction is still considered one of the best of the clown prince to date, which the Oscar it won is a credit to, but his untimely death before The Dark Knight released have led many to shy away from the role. Apparently, Jared Leto is not one of them. The show must go on, after all.