The Joker (Jared Leto)
The Joker pre-dates the Suicide Squad, having first appeared in Batman #1 in 1940. He is arguably the most iconic of The Dark Knight’s arch-enemies and is portrayed as a sadistic criminal mastermind with a deeply warped sense of humour. He was originally set as a serial killer, without conscience, whose weapon of choice was a toxin that caused his victims to die with a terrifying smile on their faces.
The Joker’s first origin story was depicted in Detective Comics #168 in 1951 and revealed him to have previously been a criminal named Red Hood, who was disfigured and driven insane by falling into a vat of chemicals. Later revisions to his tale incorporated the idea that he became the Red Hood because he was a failed comedian whose wife had died. Though he is most closely associated with Batman, he has also been seen to do battle with both Superman and Wonder Woman, too, while his greatest rival in the world of the supervillain remains Lex Luthor.
In the source material, The Joker has not been a significant feature of the Suicide Squad. Harley Quinn, on the other hand, became a notable member – and she is The Joker’s girlfriend (and ‘sidekick’) courtesy of Batman: The Animated Series.
Leto’s Joker is the latest in a long line of performances bringing this well-known supervillain to life. He has previously been played – in voice and in body – by Cesar Romero, Larry Storch, Lennie Weinrib, Frank Welker, Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, Kevin Michael Richardson, Heath Ledger, Jeff Bennett, Brent Spiner, John DiMaggio, Michael Emerson and Christopher Corey Smith.
