By George Bate
DC’s cinematic universe has changed considerably in recent years, veering away from the original direction seen in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill’s futures are up in the air, although the former is set to reappear in next year’s The Flash, and iconic Bat-actor Michael Keaton looks like he could fill Affleck’s mantle in future films and shows.
Keaton’s reemergence in the world of DC seems to be a clear sign that some roles might be taken on by new actors in the future. One character who’s future is up in the air in the main DC universe is Joker, despite the fact that he appeared briefly in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Jared Leto originally played the character in Suicide Squad before reprising his role in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but he’s since moved on to other projects, in particular Sony’s Morbius, a film telling the origins of Spider-Man’s vampiric villain.
Leto’s focus seems to be on Morbius at the moment, particularly as Sony’s world begins to merge with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Still, the actor has fond memories of his time as the Joker, as he noted to Variety:
“That role was an opportunity of a lifetime. And I got a chance to do it twice.”
For now, it seems like this chapter of Leto’s career has ended, particularly with the emergence of Joaquin Phoenix and Barry Keoghan in the role, meaning that another Joker added into the mix might be too much at one time. Still, Leto also noted that he’s hesitant to fully say goodby to the role:
“Never say never.”
Joker’s role in the main DC universe is up in the air right now, but fans can still see Leto in superhero movies with Morbius, which comes out on April 1, 2022. Check out the trailer for the film here:
Images and videos courtesy of Warner Bros. and Sony