Why Critics Absolutely Hated Jared Leto's Joker
Jared Leto is one of the best actors of his generation. There's no doubt about that. But every great actor is allowed a couple of bad films and a couple of even worse performances. For many filmgoers and critics alike, Jared's worst is his interpretation of the DC supervillain, The Joker, in 2016's Suicide Squad. Jared's take on Batman's archnemesis was perceived better in his cameo in Zack Synder's cut of Justice League. But it's overshadowed by his work in David Ayer's original film.
There's a new Joker in cinema nowadays. But Jared's maligned legacy lives on. Not only does it dwell in the shadows of Heath Ledger and Joaquin Pheonix's Academy Award-winning performances, but it's also referenced every time Jared makes a career fumble. Most recently in Morbius, where he plays an MCU villain.
But is his Joker really THAT bad? According to critics, it absolutely is. Here are the worst things they've said about his work in Suicide Squad...
6 Jared Leto's Joker Has No Substance
Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his take on The Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. A few years later, Joaquin Pheonix won for playing the same role in Todd Phillips's Joker. And Jack Nicholson's performance on the silver screen in Tim Burton's Batman has been praised for decades. Why? Because each of these actors brought depth to the character that was already present on the page. They found the character's ethos. And they made him multidimensional. Numerous critics claimed Jared didn't do the same. But, to be fair, he didn't have much of a script to work with.
This didn't stop film critics, such as Christopher Orr at The Atlantic, from criticizing Jared for what amounted to a "Ledger-lite" performance.
5 Jared Leto's Method Acting Approach Overshadowed His Performance
There's no doubt that much of Jared Leto's performance as The Joker was overshadowed by the media coverage of his on-set antics. More specifically, the ways he approached method-acting. Almost every pop culture fan knows that he reportedly sent used condoms and rats to his co-stars in order to taunt them as his character. This is something that was pointed out in The Ringer's review of Suicide Squad as well as in another article by The Atlantic. The latter stated that Jared's failed and over-the-top approach proved that "the prestige of method acting has dimmed".
Of course, Suicide Squad wasn't the first time Jared caused conflicts on set due to his approach. But in much of his work, his method of acting did actually pay off. He's an Oscar-winner, after all.
4 Jared Leto's Joker Isn't Frightening
In Anthony Lane's Suicide Squad review in The New Yorker, he wrote: "When it comes to [Jared] Leto and [Cara] Delevingne [who played the villain Enchantress], on the other hand, all I can say is: ladies and gentlemen, place your bets, and try to guess which performance, when the movies of 2016 are tallied and assessed, will be judged the more embarrassing. I would plump for Leto, who lets not a syllable go unmangled, and whose attempt at pure evil is roughly as frightening as 'Goodnight Moon,' but I could be wrong."
The thought that Jared's take on the Batman supervillain was less than intimidating was popular among critics. Angie Han at Slash Film added to this criticism by claiming that everything Viola Davis' Amanda Waller did in Suicide Squad was significantly scarier than what Jared was able to do in his Joker performance.
3 The Truth About The Joker's Horrible Appearance
"Leto’s Joker is all costume and makeup," a writer for The Detriot News wrote, echoing hundreds of people who've criticized the look of Suicide Squad's Joker. His physical appearance became the signature detail of Leto's performance, meaning that every choice he made was drowned by it. In contrast, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Joaquin Pheonix, and even Barry Keoghan (in The Batman) were able to lift their performances up beyond the distinct look of the homicidal maniac.
Instead of seeing a unique angle of the Clown Prince of Crime, viewers were consumed by Jared Leto's copious tattoos, the grills, and the 2010's club vibe. Zack Synder clearly heard the cries from the fans and critics as he totally did away with the look when he brought Jared into his cut of Justice League in 2021.
2 Jared's Joker Is "Just An Ordinary Creep"
Amy Nicholson at MTV wrote a scathing review on Jared's take on The Joker, stating: "This mini-man in a shiny suit that reflects his insecurities is supposed to be the Joker, but take two shots of tequila and he could pass for Justin Bieber — especially when he summons his babe, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), from the dance floor and gifts her to another man. This isn’t Jack Nicholson’s soft-bellied lover or Heath Ledger’s rabid dog; Jared Leto’s Joker is just an ordinary creep. He’s a bad boyfriend and a bad, bad guy who wants nothing, schemes nothing, invents nothing, and seems so ineffectual that Batman wouldn’t even have to stand up to take him out. Bruce Wayne could just nod at a bouncer and he’d be kicked to the curb."
1 Jared Leto Has Nothing To Do In The Movie
One of the biggest criticisms leveled at Jared Leto's performance by numerous film buffs actually has nothing to do with the actor himself. It has to do with the director David Ayer, the script, and whatever decisions were made by Warner Brothers studio in the edit. So much of Suicide Squad's marketing material focused on Leto when he had very little screentime or even much to do in the film. Globe and Mail writer John Smeley, as well as reviewers at NME, was one of the few critics who seemed to feel that Jared was done a disservice by having his screentime cut down. Unlike many of the other criticisms, John believes that he could have brought more fun to Suicide Squad if he had a larger presence.
The cameo appearance Jared made in Zack Synder's cut of Justice League seemed to partially prove that Jared's take on The Joker would have faired much better with a juicer script and less studio interference.
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