New Joker actor Jared Leto and Harley Quinn actress Margot Robbie delve into what is it that makes their respective characters tick.
There is a lingering question of whether Suicide Squad will reveal the Joker’s backstory? The Joker’s true origins and real name has always been one of those great unknown mysteries of the comics. But, would the film version provide some answers to how the Joker came to be? The answer is a big maybe. Here’s what Leto had to say on the matter:
“I don’t think I’m allowed to talk about that so much. But we walked in a completely new direction. I think we knew that we had to do that. It was important to do that. When the Joker has been done and done so well, it gives you a bit of an indication of where you shouldn’t go. There’s a bit of a map there. That’s the good part about it.”
While that is hardly a definitive statement, Leto’s choice of phrasing seems to indicate that there will be some exploration of the Joker’s origins.
On the flip-side of the Joker, the character Harley Quinn is awaiting her live-action film debut. And Harley actress Margot Robbie has been working hard to ensure fans that the characterization of Harley is a familiar one to the classic Harley Quinn.
“I did a lot of research on mental illness and codependency. I was trying to access a way in to understanding why she’s so in love with the Joker. I kind of decided that she’s codependent on him. Now that I’ve done the research, I realize that that’s more of an addiction than an illness… You see many sides of her. Sometimes she’s really funny. Sometimes she’s really mean. She just enjoys everything she does. Whether she’s doing something good or bad, she’ll have an equal amount of enjoyment out of it. She’s not always the most likable character.”
This idea of a codependent, hopelessly in-love-with-the-Joker Harley Quinn is more reminiscent of the Batman: The Animated Series version of Harley than in her more recent comic book interpretations, where she has broken away from the Joker. It sounds like the Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad will be a mix of the classic and the new, modern version.
