If you thought Jared Leto’s Joker looked weird, you’re really going to be uncomfortable when you read what he had to say about it. Leto plays the clown prince of Gotham in next Summer’s Suicide Squad and, in a new interview about the role, he got very graphic.
There was definitely a period of...detachment. I took a pretty deep dive. But this was a unique opportunity and I couldn’t imagine doing it another way. It was fun, playing those psychological games. But at the same time it was very painful, like giving birth out of my prick hole.
Ouch.
Leto spoke to Empire Magazine about the role, where we also got a few brand new looks at the character. You probably already saw this one
See more Suicide Squad photos here.
Leto also said he sees his Joker a little different than previous iterations:
I always get the sense that The Joker may be much older than people think. It’s something different. If you don’t break rules, you’re not going to strike new ground. I think I’ll be cooling down for the rest of my life.
Producer Charles Roven explained that one of the differences between this Joker and others is this one is “More social...a very successful and smart businessman besides being a sociopath.” And director David Ayer agreed their portrayal is different from what we’ve seen before:
The Joker is the third rail of comic book movies. There’s a power to that character, and by some freaking miracle, through the incredible things Jared has done and the photography and all the other millions of things that went into it, we’ve cooked up something transcendent. He’s scary.
In addition, the new Empire has other details on Suicide Squad. For example, there’s a scene description of the Squad in a helicopter and Katana being introduced. “Love your perfume. What is that: Stench of Death?” asks Harley Quinn.
Each actor also gives a brief, non-spoiler description of their characters, the best one being Jai Courtney talking about his role as Captain Boomerang. “[The director’s] first instruction was, ‘Find your inner shitbag.’”
Suicide Squad opens August 5, 2016. Here’s the first look, in case you want to watch it again.
[Empire Magazine, H/T Comic Book Movie]
Contact the author at germain@io9.com.