This week brought what was, for many of us, groan-inducing news that Jared Leto is reportedly getting his own solo movie as the Joker, after first appearing as the Clown Prince of Crime back in 2016’s Suicide Squad. The announcement was a perplexing one as firstly, Leto’s interpretation of the character has proven to be the most controversial to date and secondly, Warner Bros. is already working on a standalone vehicle for the Joker, the non-DCEU effort likely starring Joaquin Phoenix.
So, what’s the story behind this second solo movie for Mr. J? Could WB be planning on filling out the DC Extended Universe by giving multiple Suicide Squad anti-heroes their own films? Well, as we know, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn has at least three movies in development at the studio that she could star in, and there was also that Deadshot solo pic with Will Smith that was talked about back in 2016.
The idea of a Suicide Squad universe within the DCEU was discussed on Twitter by insider Jeff Sneider and a fan recently, the latter of whom first suggested the idea. Sneider agreed with the Tweeter and pointed out that the original source of the story, Variety’s Justin Kroll, did use “the dreaded “U” word” to describe the news. He’s right, too, as Kroll’s original update read:
EXCLU: With Margot Robbie’s HARLEY QUINN getting BOP, WB is now giving
@JaredLeto Joker his own standalone pic set in SUICIDE SQUAD universe.
While Suicide Squad isn’t the most critically acclaimed entry in the franchise to date, it did actually earn a sizeable amount of money, so it makes sense that WB would be interested in capitalizing on that. It also featured a crowded cast of great characters with long comic book histories to mine from, with talented actors signed on to play them. That said, we’re not sure many people are crying out for a Killer Croc origins movie or a prequel starring Slipknot.
Apart from those spinoffs we mentioned earlier, there’s also Suicide Squad 2 in the works, of course. With Gavin O’Connor attached to direct, the sequel could go into production as early as this fall. But should it pave the way for any other projects starring Task Force X members? Have your say in the comments section below!
