The New Joker

Over the last few days this image has gotten everyone talking.

The tweeted first image of Jared Leto as the Joker in the new Suicide Squad movie.  You want my thoughts?

First of all, I’ve read people’s reactions which are all over the map.  From love to hate.  Though I’ve definitely seen more hate.  A lot of people are also talking about it in terms of the movie.  Guess what, the movie isn’t out so we have no idea how he’ll actually be depicted in the movie!  How much can you get from one promotional image?

It wasn’t that long ago when people where bemoaning the casting of Heath Ledger and complaining about how he looked as the Joker.  Then everyone saw the movie and lost their minds!

A lot of people seem personally invested in this.  Not me.  I barely know who Jared Leto is, am only marginally familiar with Suicide Squad, and the Joker is far from my favorite character.

Does that mean that mean I don’t care?  Kind of.  When the movie comes out and I see a trailer, then I’ll judge it and decide if I want to see the movie.  I wasn’t excited for Watchmen or Guardians of the Galaxy before I saw those trailers, and I loved both movies.

All that said, you want my opinion of this first look?  Well, I think it looks pretty stupid.

It doesn’t really look like the Joker, more like a mega fan cosplaying.  It really just looks like some dumb punk at many of the shows I’ve been to that is into the Joker.

It has a very rock band front man feel to it, which doesn’t seem to be in line with the Joker as I’ve ever seen him.  It also feels like it is trying way too hard.  This is someone starved for attention and really trying to look a part, not someone being original.

And all those stupid tattoos…  The Joker has never struck me as someone who sits around getting ink done.  And they really are dumb.  They look to all be Joker themed homages to the comic, that a fan would be into, but not the man himself.  I hope these are just for promotional purposes and not really in the movie.  The are all just so obvious, to an absurd degree.

I cannot imagine the Joker going into a tattoo parlor and saying, “Well, I really like to laugh, so how about HAHA all over my arm and chest.  And add a big smile on my arm!”  And don’t get me started on the incredibly moronic “Damaged” on his head.

I don’t care for the grill teeth either.  Or the idea that the Joker manscapes and prances around looking for attention without his shirt on.

So overall, judging it purely by this one image, I hate it.  It seems like a really bad take on the character and does not inspire a lot of hope for the movie.

But we will have to wait and see when it actually comes out.