James Gunn Explains Why He Left Jared Leto’s Joker Out Of The Suicide Squad

James Gunn has revealed his reason behind not including Jared Leto’s Joker in The Suicide Squad. It is worth mentioning that Leto’s portrayal of the character in the original Suicide Squad did not sit down well with the fans.

While speaking with Desde Hollywood, Gunn, 50, elaborated on his decision to leave The Joker out of the 2021 film. He said other people have already done an excellent work with the character.

“There’s all sorts of other characters I’m interested in doing. Joker isn’t really one of them. He’s been done well so many times by so many people. I am much more interested in taking characters who haven’t fully had their shot, or people who I [connect with].”

Suicide Squad starring Leto as The Joker and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn released in 2016. The David Ayer flick was quickly panned by critics and audience alike, forcing DC to take a different direction with the film’s characters.

The Suicide Squad (directed by Gunn), on the other hand, was released to rave reviews. It featured a new take on the characters. Its success prompted Warner Bros. to greenlit an HBO Max series for the Peacemaker (played by John Cena).

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