20 Essential Movie Performances That Will Define 2016
1. Jared Leto - The Joker (Suicide Squad)
Release Date: August 5
The Role: The Clown Prince of Crime himself, re-imagined as a tattooed, over-the-top gangster who retains the character's inherent psychopathy.
Why It'll Define 2016: Because just about anyone with a pulse is eager to find out if Jared Leto can live up to Heath Ledger's ground-breaking, Oscar-winning portrayal of the character in 2008's The Dark Knight.
On one hand, the two performances are probably beyond comparison considering how different they are, but at the same time, they're inevitably going to be, and it seems like Leto is certainly bringing his own brand of manic energy to the part.
It ultimately really comes down to whether or not David Ayer's script gives Leto enough to work with, and consider that we also still don't know how big The Joker's role is: many suspect he might be little more than an extended cameo. We'll have to wait and see, but it seems like Leto is cooking up something very special indeed.
And above all else, you can't fault the guy's commitment: he stayed in character through the shoot, to the point of sending used condoms to cast members and forcing Will Smith to admit that he never really met Leto on set.
Which upcoming 2016 performances are you most looking forward to? Shout them out in the comments!