13 Hyped Movie Roles That Were Total Cop-Outs

2. The Joker (Jared Leto) - Suicide Squad

Interest was certainly piqued when Jared Leto was cast in the role of The Joker for Suicide Squad, and though not everyone was convinced at first, Warner Bros. made it clear that they were keen to deliver a new Joker far away from Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning portrayal.

The first teaser trailer did a fine job conveying Leto's menace in the part, and though many took umbrage with the character's over-designed look - especially the tattoos, grills and Hot Topic-baiting clothing - there wasn't much doubt that Leto would bring his usual commitment to the part.

But when Suicide Squad was finally released, fans were left puzzled by the brevity of Leto's role in the film, where the Clown Prince of Crime basically seemed like an afterthought.

It would later emerge that Leto's role was cut down significantly in post-production, with Leto himself expressing bemusement over the whole affair.

Some didn't much care for Leto's interpretation of the character regardless, but given how little of the role we actually got to see - especially in its original context as part of a larger whole - it's hard to place too much of the blame on the actor.

With recent rumours pointing to the likelihood that the actor is already done with the character after just a single movie, this is yet another case of Warner Bros. losing a talented actor due to infuriating mismanagement of the DC brand.

Leto was never going to be Ledger and he didn't need to be, but with his role being hacked to pieces so aggressively, it's hard to say he was given a fair shake at all.