“I regret that decision”: Suicide Squad Director David Ayer Regrets Ruining Jared Leto’s Joker With His Despicable Idea
American director David Ayer has made many blockbuster movies over the years, including 2001’s Training Day and The Fast and The Furious, and 2003’s S.W.A.T. Among these movies was DC’s 2016 superhero film Suicide Squad, which was a commercial success, having grossed $746.8 million against a budget of $325 million including promotion and marketing costs.
Suicide Squad had an ensemble cast that included Jared Leto, who played the role of the DC supervillain Joker. While the movie was well received by fans and critics alike, some of them had one complaint when it came to Leto’s Joker, and recently, David Ayer has confirmed that he regrets some of the decisions he took regarding the character.
Read More: Suicide Squad Director Slams Fans Who “Have fun mocking the film”
David Ayer is Regretful About Joker’s Tattoos
Over the years, the character of Joker has been seen on the screen several times. Late actor Heath Ledger was the one who had played the role in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight before Jared Leto‘s portrayal of the character. Undoubtedly, every new comic book-to-screen adaptation of Joker has been unique, but certainly, none of them had tattoos.
Recently, David Ayer took to Twitter to address the discourse about the character’s failure to impress the audience. He said:
“I own the tattoo idea 100% It was my choice. Original idea is it would say “Blessed” and not “Damaged” Now having said that — I regret that decision. It created acrimony and division. Not every idea is a good idea. And I’ll just be in the corner here while the internet slaps me around for this post.”
Tattoos would be the last thing to bother fans of the DC comics if it weren’t for one particular tattoo that everyone disapproved. Joker is known to have an unhinged state of mind but that is something that should have been shown in the movie instead of inking the word “Damaged” on the villain’s forehead.
Jared Leto’s Joker is the Worst Iteration So Far
The Clown Prince of Crime is one of the most legendary DC villains known to date. The character has been adapted for movies and shows since as early as the 1960s. Among these, Jared Leto’s portrayal of The Joker has been called the worst of all times.
There are numerous reasons why Jared Leto’s Joker interpretation was a failure, although Leto is one of the best actors of his generation, with an Oscar under his belt. One of the foremost and most popular reasons for this was the missing fear factor from his character. As the archnemesis of Batman and a member of the Suicide Squad, he was expected to be more intimidating.
Read More: Suicide Squad: Scott Eastwood Says Ayer Cut Had More Character Depth
David Ayer’s approach to Joker might have something (or perhaps a lot) to do with this narrative, as the appearance was a huge factor why people despised the Panic Room actor’s portrayal of the character. Not to mention the minimal screen time of Joker in the movie.
Source: Twitter
