Fresh reports are claiming that Leonardo DiCaprio will be the Joker in the Martin Scorcese produced origin film. However, there are reports that Jared Leto is furious leading to a pressing question: Is the DCEU big enough for two Jokers?
DiCaprio: The White Whale Of DC Movies
Leonardo DiCaprio has been on the list of actors Warner Bros has been itching to get into one of their DC movies. When The Dark Knight was at the top of the box office, the studio wanted Christopher Nolan to cast DiCaprio as the Riddler. The Oscar winning actor is box office gold and an incredibly hard worker. With Scorsese producing the heavily talked about Joker origin movie, it is rumoured by the Hollywood Reporter that one of his golden actors is being pursued to play the Clown Prince Of Crime.
Scorsese and DiCaprio have a rich history working together with classics like The Aviator, Gangs Of New York and The Wolf Of Wall Street. It seems far-fetched, but anything can happen. However, there may be a complication to consider: Leto is still the Joker.
Leto In Or Out?
Jared Leto played the Joker in the over-hyped Suicide Squad and was slammed for his performance. The Joker was hyped as a main character, but instead he ended up in a small and heavily panned part in the film. There have been constant claims that Leto’s role was butchered in editing, with the actor also stating as much.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the news of DiCaprio has angered the actor. Leto has approached WME agency and his own CAA agents to voice his frustration with the idea of two jokers. With both actors being Oscar winners, the competition will be intense. The role of the Joker is critically and commercially lucrative. The original Batman merchandising deal has continued to reap millions for Jack Nicholson. There is big money on the table for this role.
Again: Affleck Waivering?
Another week and the recycling of the Affleck has left the Batman role story making its rounds. There has been no official statement, however, fresh reports were circulating on Saturday that Ben Affleck is exiting after Justice League. The Hollywood Reporter again makes this claim in their same article on the Joker drama.
‘War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves is developing a Batman stand-alone that. According to sources, will not star Ben Affleck. Who plays the caped crusader in the DC Universe movies (Warners and Affleck have denied he is being replaced). The plan is to launch a separate label for these projects to distinguish them from the rest of the DC films. (Warners executives are acutely aware of the risks of audience confusion.)’
Once again nothing official, however, the magnitude of the story and constant claims make this discussion worthy. Stay tuned for more as it breaks: Same bat time, same bat channel.