Jared Leto Linked To Play The Joker

David Ayer is busy putting together his roster of actors for the much-anticipated Suicide Squad film, and next in his sights is Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto.

The Wrap is reporting that, according to an insider close to the project, Leto is being targeted for the role of The Joker following Ryan Gosling passing up on the chance to play the famed Batman villain.

Tom Hardy, Will Smith and Margot Robbie are in various stages of discussions to star in the super-villain mash-up. Jesse Eisenberg is also expected to reprise his role as Superman’s mortal foe Lex Luthor, who he will play in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, though no casting is confirmed at this time.

Based on the DC Comic, Suicide Squad finds the government granting a group of super-villains a shot at redemption by sending them on a mission that will likely kill them all.

Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his terrifying performance as The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight.” The Joker’s fate was left dangling in that film, though Nolan’s Batman trilogy is not expected to have any connection to WB’s shared DC Movie Universe.