At this point, it’s surprising that there are any complimentary adjectives left for David Ayer to describe Jared Leto. His performance as The Joker in Suicide Squad has, for us at least, been restricted to trailers and artwork, so it’s obviously impossible to throw in our two cents. But for Ayer? He thinks Leto’s work is phenomenal, and he’s happy to shower his villainous lead with praise at every opportunity.
His latest interview with Total Film continues that trend, as the director describes what it was like on set with the green-haired thesp:
“What Jared has done is absolutely incredible. When he steps onto the set the world stops. Everything stops. What he’s done is so powerful, so menacing, so palpable, you can feel him. The crew stops working and just watches him. I have to get everybody going again because he’s so fascinating.”
That’s a pretty bold statement, especially when you consider who last took on the role. Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance in The Dark Knight decimated everyone’s expectations, proving naysayers wrong at every turn. Unsurprisingly, Leto’s appointment in the role was met with similar caution.
Still, despite giving a maniacal, over-the-top impression from the first marketing materials, there might be more to the troubled Joker than we know. In fact, there could be a lot about the movie we’re still completely in the dark about. Ayer goes on to say that in spite of the various leaks, and what we’ve gleaned from trailers, we should prepare for some surprises:
“What’s interesting to me is how there’s been a lot to perception of what this film is because we have been exposed more than other movies. What people think this movie is is not what it is. There’s much more to come.”
Much more, eh? We’ll find out exactly what Ayer has in store when Suicide Squad opens on August 5.
