Zack Snyder, David Ayer talk ‘Suicide Squad’ Joker, Jared Leto and pushing boundries
With Batman v Superman a couple of months away, Warner Bros has ramped up the publicity for their next DC Comics adaptation, Suicide Squad. Director David Ayer spoke out about the challenges of bringing the characters to life, particularly the Joker, portrayed by Jared Leto.
“It’s a scary character to tackle,” Ayers tells USA Today.
“This iteration of him, people will realize there really is a continuity of history — there is a lot of respect for what the Joker represents, who he is as a character. He is the best known villain in fiction so there’s an incredible responsibility there to also be faithful to what he is but at the same time push him into this next world, next time, next phase.”
Ayer, who also wrote the Suicide Squad screenplay, is an obvious fan of the rivalry between Batman and The Joker and as a result, was taken aback by Leto’s convincing transformation.
“The hairs stand up on the back of your neck. If you’re a Batman fan, you have to love/hate the Joker because he’s the best nemesis ever. Just to have him on one of my film sets, it was a very memorable thing for me.”
While Ayer’s enthusiasm for the iconic villain’s portrayal in Suicide Squad is an encouraging sign. Suicide Squad producer and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice director, Zack Snyder is confident that Leto’s Joker is the real deal.
“I was very much looped in on the crazy stuff happening with that. The commitment to the role, you’re going to see that really shine through in a way that you’re not used to seeing actors in movies really go all the way with (in) every little moment and every little breath. You’re going to get taken on a journey with Jared that I don’t know that everyone’s ready for but I think it will be amazing.”
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opens on March 25, 2016, which is followed by Suicide Squad on August 5, 2016.
