Several weeks ago, it was rumored that Jared Leto was being eyed to play The Joker in the DC Comics film Suicide Squad. While the 30 Seconds to Mars lead vocalist may seem like an odd choice for the Clown Prince of Crime, he proved he has the acting chops by earning multiple awards this past year for Dallas Buyers Club, so he may be able to handle the same role actors like Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger have performed in the past. After several weeks of silence, Leto has finally addressed this casting rumor with a cagey, yet clever answer.
While interviewing him about his band 30 Seconds to Mars’ documentary series Into the Wild, MTV asked Leto whether there was any truth to him being connected with the Joker role. Said Leto:
"You know there’s a film called Fight Club, my friend. And you know the first rule is, don’t you? Enough said."
Leto is of course referencing the often-quoted line about how the first (and second) rule of Fight Club is not to talk about Fight Club, meaning he won’t be spilling the beans anytime soon. Leto goes on to mention that he has been reading scripts, but he’s not in a hurry to jump onto a film unless it’s something he "absolutely can’t say no to," which he emphasized by praising his experience with Dallas Buyers Club. While Leto doesn’t have any upcoming film projects, he did say that he’s keeping busy with his music and other things, so joining a comic book film isn’t necessarily something he feels obligated to do right now, even if it is playing one of the greatest villains of all time.
It sounds like Leto is taking non-answer lessons from Benedict Cumberbatch, who has similarly been avoiding questions about his possible role as Stephen Strange in 2016’s Doctor Strange. While Leto isn’t confirming or denying any involvement in the film, it’s possible that he has at least been given the Suicide Squad script to look at. Of course, just because an actor is being eyed for a role doesn’t mean they’ll take it. Remember Joaquin Phoenix and Doctor Strange? That didn’t go well.
Suicide Squad, set for release on August 5, 2016, will follow a group of incarcerated supervillains who are sent on secret missions by the U.S. government in exchange for reduced prison sentences. No characters have been officially announced for the film, although there have been reports that Margot Robbie will play Harley Quinn, which would lend credence to a possible Joker appearance. With filming expected to start sometime next year, Warner Bros. will be making casting announcements soon, so Leto will be forced to break the first and second Fight Club rule at some point regardless of whether he’s been cast or not.
