DiCaprio As The Joker?

[Mitch Henessey]

The world woke up to some wild movie news Friday morning: Intoxicating reports that Leonardo DiCaprio is being sought for a major role in the Warner Bros. D.C. Comics empire as The Joker.

The Internet lit up as movie trade publication The Hollywood Reporter claimed the studio was courting DiCaprio for the ultimate villain role.

According to THR, Warner Bros will make an ambitious attempt to involve Martin Scorsese as a producer on the just announced Joker origin film, partially to "lure his longtime collaborator (DiCaprio) into the world of comic book franchises" and the Joker role.

Hangover director Todd Phillips is writing and could direct this new Joker story.

Neither Warner Bros nor DiCaprio's rep commented on the report. But even THR pulled back on the possibility of DiCaprioplaying the Crown Prince of Crime.

"There's no offer for DiCaprio," the article states, adding, "The chances of landing DiCaprio could be slim to none. But the attempt in itself sends a signal to talent that Warners wants to hire serious filmmakers to make serious films."

The Joker role has pulled in the highest level of talent, with Oscar-winner Jared Leto in Suicide Squad and the inevitable, still-to-be-announced sequel. Leto would also play The Joker in a separate movie focusing on his twisted love story with fellow villain Harley Quinn (featuring This Is Us directors/exec producers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who wrote and directed the 2011 romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love).

Jack Nicholson put on the Joker's garish smile in 1989's Batman, while Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his Joker role in The Dark Knight.

Erik Davis, managing editor of the movie ticket site Fandango.com says the DiCaprio casting news is says "probably unrealistic dream casting."

What the Warner Bros effort shows, says Davis, is that they are seeking risky creative and artistic visions in popular films, gambles which have paid off in epics such as Mad Max: Fury Road. (Next up is Blade Runner 2049.)

"So it's hard to roll your eyes at the idea of a star like Leonardo DiCaprio in the role," Davis adds. "Look at what Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger did with it. You can't write off casting choices when it comes to playing The Joker."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life...caprio-joker-dont-hold-your-breath/625741001/

Leonardo DiCaprio playing The Joker would generate a lot of buzz, and DiCaprio continuing the momentum for DC's cinematic universe after Wonder Woman is almost a sure thing. DiCaprio is a legit star, a box office draw, and he's in the elite upper echelon for actors in Hollywood.

But as the article suggests, I have a hard time believing anything will come of this. Scorsese might be able to convince Leo to do it, but DiCaprio is very selective about choosing his roles, so a superhero film is a longshot. Of course, everything could change with the right script, director, and a boatload of money.

According to reports, Jared Leto is not happy about this. I thought Leto was okay in Suicide Squad, but to be fair, The Joker didn't have a significant amount of screen time. That, and a lot of fans have ridiculously high expectations for The Joker after The Dark Knight.

 

[SSJPhenom]

Don't get me wrong, I love DiCaprio. I've never seen him give a horrible performance in anything. He's a legit movie star and it shouldn't have taken him as long as it did for him to win an Oscar. Having said that, I don't think that he's dark enough to play the Joker. Think about all of the times we've seen him play a villian. It's always a charming villain that isn't too hard to get behind and to enjoy. The Joker isn't charming. The Joker can be witty and funny but not charming. He has to be dark, disturbed. One has to look at the Joker and think, 'There's something wrong with this man'. I don't know if DiCaprio can pull that off.

He's a wonderful actor, but I don't know if he can be dark enough for a Joker role.

 

[Alex]

I liked Leto as the Joker. The Ledger fanboys can moan all they want but Ledger was a (brilliantly played) anarchic terrorist wearing facepaint. At least with Leto I felt I was looking at a crazy comic book character.

I'd be pissed too if I were Leto. Didn't he sign on for multiple films, so he's probably thinking he's got the Joker gig for a few films and he's probably not sure.

DiCaprio doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd go for a comic book movie most of his stuff seems to serious to deal with the inherent silliniess of comic book movies

Warner Bros are coming across like the kid who always wants the new toy. They get one that's perfectly good but as soon as they see the new thing they want it.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

Of course they were going to blame Leto for that shit Joker the SS delivered. They guy played for like 10 minutes and looked like a stupid thug. Not even Ledger would have made that Joker work. It was too much and The Joker felt weak. He didn't have the presence Joker should have. When Joker enters a room the room freezes and everyone gets the chills. When Leto's Joker enter a room everyone is holding back their laughs.

Joker's Leto failed because of the director and the writers. Not Leto. Leto did fine. Legder's Joker worked because both Heath and Nolan had the same vision and the same goal. They worked together.

No matter who they bring, if director and actor do not cooperate, the Joker will never work.

I'd like to see Leto's Joker continue appearing, but they should run a story where that Joker is Robin and THE Joker is DiCaprio. That would save a lot of things.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I thought Leto did okay considering what he was given to work with. He didn't blow me away or anything but, then again, Suicide Squad wasn't exactly a great movie to begin with. Considering that Margot Robbie was and is the only character from the movie anyone remembers, they'd probably just be better off giving Harley Quinn a solo movie of some kind next time around.

DiCaprio has the ability to be a great Joker, a lot just depends upon what he's given to work with in the script. DiCaprio's won 3 Golden Globes and an Academy Award on top of 8 and 5 additional Golden Globe and Oscar nominations, so he most definitely has the acting chops. Twenty years ago, I thought the guy would just sort of fade away after Titanic, he struck me as little more than someone to get all the tween and teen girls hot and bothered, and that looked like it might happen given the turds he was in over the next several years like The Man in the Iron Mask, Celebrity and The Beach. He turned it around in 2002 with Catch Me If you Can and Gangs of New York and never looked back.

Like it or not Heath Ledger is the standard bearer for the character of the Joker, he was phenomenal in the role and his take on the character was cemented all the more because he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; that's extremely impressive, monumental really because there are almost never Oscar nominations for acting performances, wins are all but unheard of, in the comic book/fantasy/sci-fi genres. As a result, if fans don't feel DiCaprio's take on the character, if he winds up playing him that is, isn't up to par with Ledger's, then many are gonna shit all over it; it might not be fair, but that's just the way it is.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

I think Decap is going to knock it out of the park. The guy is a great actor and can play any role given to him.
The part of the story I have my doubts on is who is writing the origin story.. ....Todd Phillips? Really? What a strange choice for a dark villian than Todd who helmed shit movies like Hangover 1,2,3 and Roadtrip.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Leto was genuinely excited to play The Joker. He was dedicated, and he put a lot of hard work into the character, but if snagging DiCpario becomes a realistic possibility, the powers that be will find a way to kick him to the curb in a heartbeat. They'll roll out the red carpet for Leo, and they'll give him whatever he wants to make him happy.

Todd Phillips is an odd choice for the screenwriter, but I actually prefer The Hangover III over the first two films. John Goodman, and it's nice change of pace to breakaway from the "bad things happen, when Alan drugs the rest of the group for a wild night" formula.