James Gunn revealed his full cast list for The Suicide Squad and, debunking minor speculation, Jared Leto — who played The Joker in David Ayer’s film — wasn’t on it.
Some weren’t surprised but Vincent D’Onofrio was. The portrayer of Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) on Netflix’s Daredevil shared his shock on Twitter with the following sentiment. (Related: James Gunn Reveals Massive Cast List for Suicide Squad That Includes Idris Elba, John Cena, and Margot Robbie,)
“After seeing the Gunn tweet just like this woman I’m replying to. I myself was surprised the Leto’s Joker was not listed. It was unexpected u DING DONG. I then, 2 make myself clear when I noticed folks talking negatively about Leto tweeted it was not what I implied.”
D’Onofrio’s tweet was deleted but he continued to talk about Leto’s absence, touching as well on the reason for the initial post’s deletion. Responding to himself, D’Onofrio claimed he was merely making an observation. He wrote:
I only said he’s not in it. https://t.co/jHIwO6sWte
— Vincent D’Onofrio (@vincentdonofrio) September 14, 2019
Equally surprised by the reaction to his first tweet, D’Onofrio replied to Andy Signore who’s avowedly not a fan of Leto’s “juggalo Joker” and explained why he took it down. See below:
No problem I find it very funny that it got the reaction it did.
I had to take my “nope” tweet down though.
I don’t thinks it’s cool to disrespect peers even if…— Vincent D’Onofrio (@vincentdonofrio) September 14, 2019
D’Onofrio is no stranger to controversy on social media. He stirred some up at the beginning of the year when he opined on the Covington Catholic school kids and their MAGA hats. The actor stated — in another deleted tweet — MAGA hat wearers support an untrustworthy President and the students should have taken off their hats.
He deleted that tweet not too long after sending it, citing “too many crazies out there.” (Related: Kingpin Actor Vincent D’Onofrio Believes MAGA Hat is a Sign You Cannot Be Trusted)
The Skinny on the Squad
The omission of Jared Leto and his Joker is only natural considering Warner Bros. is moving DC in a new direction cinematically and focused on another clown in Joaquin Phoenix.
Yet, an alleged production document or call sheet obtained by We Got This Covered reportedly had Leto’s name on it, leading to some confusion and rumors. Plans for a Suicide Squad spinoff starring Leto’s Joker, and another with him and Harley Quinn, were reported but fell by the wayside. (Related: Production Document Hints Jared Leto May Return for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad)
Leto now makes his comic book home at Sony as Morbius in the studios’ expanding Spidey-verse though that hasn’t stopped inquiring minds. Back in May, Variety asked Leto if he will be Joker in Birds of Prey, to which he said “You’d have to ask” the producers involved and “we’ll see.” (Related: Jared Leto Reveals Whether or Not He Will Return as Joker in Birds of Prey)
An unnamed actor is believed to stand in for Leto when Joker throws Harley out on the street in Birds of Prey, which could be the last time we see his version of Mr. J.
One more factor contributing to that outcome is potential bad feelings between Leto and director James Gunn. He tweeted an innuendo last year entailing Leto has a thing for underage girls and reportedly said as much unmistakably in a 2015 Periscope video (since deleted).
He starts at 18 on the Internet?
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 16, 2018
According to Cosmic Book News, Gunn’s negative comments date back to 2012 when he called Leto “a d-ck” very distinctly on Twitter, adding others had stories attesting to that belief.
If their hostilities persist and there is any truth to the story Gunn will be a guiding force of the DC Extended Universe going forward, Leto might not revisit the Clown Prince of Crime or anything DC-centric anytime soon.