People are already buzzing about Jared Leto's performance as The Joker even before David Ayer's "Suicide Squad" is released. They say that the actor has pulled out all the stops just to give a compelling performance, and the director couldn't help but agree.
"It's a scary character to tackle," Ayer said during an interview with USA Today. "This iteration of him, people will realize there really is a continuity of history - there is a lot of respect for what the Joker represents, who he is as a character. He is the best known villain in fiction so there's an incredible responsibility there to also be faithful to what he is but at the same time push him into this next world, next time, next phase."
Leto is a well-known method actor, and he is so committed to his craft that "people kept their distance" when he is imbibing The Joker's persona.
Ayer said that the hair on the back of his neck "stand up big time" whenever he's around Leto's Joker, and he is certain that moviegoers will feel the same way when they finally watch "Suicide Squad."
"If you're a Batman fan, you have to love/hate the Joker because he's the best nemesis ever. Just to have him on one of my film sets, it was a very memorable thing for me," he said.
Leto might have scared everybody off on the set, but Ayer explained that this is only a true testament to his talent.
"I love helping actors find what methodology works best for them. It's like tailoring a suit - it's not one size fits all. But it really made an event when he would show up on set. There was almost a pageantry to him, which did translate into the character and the power on screen he has," he said.
Even "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" director Zack Snyder, who has never visited the Toronto set of "Suicide Squad" but was "very much looped in on the crazy stuff happening with that" anti-hero film's development raved about Leto's performance.
"The commitment to the role, you're going to see that really shine through in a way that you're not used to seeing actors in movies really go all the way with (in) every little moment and every little breath," said Snyder. "You're going to get taken on a journey with Jared that I don't know that everyone's ready for but I think it will be amazing."
"Suicide Squad" will be released on August 5, 2016.
