Jared Leto Was Reportedly Not Happy About Decision To Make New Joker Movie

With Joker currently smashing box office records with Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role, it's easy to forget that it's only three years since the last version of the Crown Prince of Crime was on screen. Jared Leto played the role in 2016's Suicide Squad, and despite initial rumors that he would return to role, this now seems unlikely. According to a new report, he wasn't happy about the decision to make another Joker movie without him.

The Hollywood Reporter states that Leto was left feeling "alienated and upset" when Joker was greenlit by Warner. While Suicide Squad was not a critical hit, it was a box office success, and it was expected that Leto would reprise the role. In June 2018 it was reported that a standalone Joker movie starring Leto was in development, that would tie into a Suicide Squad sequel. However, there has been no further news about this, and Suicide Squad is now being rebooted by James Gunn.

The new Joker movie was first announced in 2017, which led Leto himself to comment on the situation. He said he was "confused" by the fact there were seemingly more than one movie in the works. It was also reported by THR that Leo was "was caught off guard by the plans."

Whether we'll see Phoenix reprise the role is unknown. While director Todd Phillips initially denied that there were plans for a sequel, Phoenix this week stated that he couldn't "stop thinking about" the character.

One Suicide Squad character that is getting a spin-off movie is Harley Quinn. Margot Robbie is set to play Harley again in the upcoming Birds of Prey, which releases in February 2020. For more, check out GameSpot's guide to everything we know so far about Birds of Prey.