Jared Leto Sought To Play The Joker In 'Suicide Squad' After Ryan Gosling Passes

Jared Leto, The JokerWe’re gonna need a bigger comments section. With Warner Bros. gearing up "Suicide Squad," they are not wasting any time in trying to land big names. Will Smith and Tom Hardy are both said to be receiving offers for the movie, but one name also mentioned early on has dropped out, with another sizable name stepping in for what might be the most challenging role in the entire DC Comics canon.

The Wrap reports that Jared Leto is being sought to play The Joker in "Suicide Squad," a role previously offered to Ryan Gosling, who balked at having to sign up for multiple movies. That sound you hear is fanboys crying, but that’s to be expected. The same sound was heard when Christopher Nolan chose Heath Ledger to play the iconic villain in "The Dark Knight." And hey, Leto has an Oscar under his belt for what can’t be denied was a transformative and terrific performance in "Dallas Buyer’s Club," so as far as choices go, we’re curious to see what he does with this part….if he signs on.

Nothing is official at the moment, but the news plays into the recent speculation that the role Cara Delevingne is circling is that of Harley Quinn, Joker’s sidekick. This report also shuts down rumors that Callan Mulvey had been cast as The Joker in "Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice." And there are a couple more curious things to note.

The script by Justin Marks originally didn’t contain the character, but director David Ayer is rewriting the screenplay and including the villain as part of his draft. It’s noted that Leto actually looked into playing "Doctor Strange," but Marvel wanted a bigger star for the role (and kudos to them for landing Benedict Cumberbatch for the gig).

So those are a few things to think about, but Leto as the most instantly recognizable DC Comics villain? Let us know how you feel below.

Updates: Collider reports that "The Wolf of Wall Street" actress Margot Robbie has joined the cast as Harley Quinn. Meanwhile, "Fury" actor Jon Bernthal may have let it slip that he’s in some kind of talks.

11.20.14 Update: Leto responds. He doesn’t deny it, basically admits that he’s read the script for it, but beyond that doesn’t say much more beyond the fact that he believes a role needs to be very special for him to sign on for.