David Ayer celebrates anniversary with fresh look at villain

Apr 25, 2015 07:59 GMT  ·  By

We’ve already seen blurry pics of Jared Leto in character as The Joker in the upcoming “Suicide Squad” from director David Ayer, and based on them, we already know that this iteration of the famous DC Comics villain will be unlike anything we’ve seen on the big screen so far.

However, perhaps not even the most insightful and imaginative fans expected something like this: this (above) is The Joker, as shown in a photo posted by Ayer on Twitter, on the occasion of the character’s anniversary. Can you really blame the fans for losing their marbles and venting on Twitter?

The Joker is different and that might not be a good thing

First things first: given how popular and well received Heath Ledger’s Joker in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” was, it’s not surprising that David Ayer is going into a different direction for his own take on the iconic character.

After all, Ledger’s version was proclaimed the “perfect” villain because he gave the best performance ever in a comic book movie - a feat that’s yet to be topped. So the moment Leto was cast, it became clear that he had large, very large shoes to fill in.

The best option for him was to go in a different direction and do his best to create a memorable character. No matter what he did, comparisons would still spring up, but at least he would do it his way and not by trying to replicate another actor’s work.

Still, it’s shocking to see The Joker this… deranged. The visual changes to the character are perhaps what stands out the most for fans of the comics: he’s no longer wearing a suit, he has grillz both on his upper and lower teeth, and he’s covered in tattoos.

That’s not exactly how one would imagine The Joker, but in this particular photo, it seems to work: the character was always at his most dangerous when he was the most unpredictable, and Leto’s is nothing if not unpredictable-looking.

He might not be the most subtle fellow out there (check out the “damaged” tattoo on his forehead), but he is frightening and intense and dangerous.

Depending on which fan you ask, that’s enough to promise a memorable turn on the big screen, when the film comes out. Others see this departure from tradition as a bad omen: you’re free to reinvent the character, but you can’t take things this far and still claim you’re working with the same character.

Fans react with surprise, disappointment, humor

You will find below some samples of fans’ reactions to this new Joker. Many are surprised in the most pleasant way: Leto is a Method actor and he never takes roles that he doesn’t want. When you have someone who doesn’t work for money but for the art of it, who has an Oscar to show for his hard work and dedication to a role, you have the recipe for a memorable performance, just like Ledger’s was.

This photo is confirmation that he will do justice to The Joker, they say.

On the other hand, other fans can’t get over the tattoos and just how insane this new Joker looks. The reason Ledger’s Joker worked so wonderfully was the quiet menace in everything that he did: he wasn’t dangerous because he acted insane all the time, but rather because he actually seemed to make sense on most occasions.

He was an anarchist with a purpose, and except for the moments when he exploded, he really came across as a reasonable guy. Well, you know, ignoring the green hair and makeup, and that atrocious purple suit. Ledger’s Joker wasn’t dangerous for the things he said or did, but for those he made you think he was capable of.

Leto’s version seems the exact opposite of that, and many fans find the exaggeration a bit hard to swallow.

Then, there’s the group who can’t get over the tattoos. These are the same people who find humor in the new pic, mostly because, obviously, to get all that ink, you have to also make sure it doesn’t get infected.

If you have tattoos, you know. The mental picture of The Joker applying moisturizer on his fresh tat is enough for some fans to not take him seriously.

“Suicide Squad” will be out in August 2016.