8 Reasons Why A Joker & Harley Quinn Movie Is A Terrible Idea
8. Jared Leto Isn't A Good Joker
Warner Bros
As much talent as Leto has, he just doesn't make for a compelling Clown Prince. That laugh (you know the one), where he makes the Joker sound like a creaky door, isn't threatening, and where do we even start with the whole aesthetic?
Look, if your lead's performance is somehow that unconvincing that you need to ink them with their character's personality traits then really, it's time to call it quits. It's understandable that Ayer and co. wanted to make their Joker unique, but it's a case of too much; everything about this character's appearance has been meticulously prepared, and, while the Joker is certainly prone to theatrics, the neatness of his appearance here feels almost antithetical to the character's chaotic vibe.
Sure, it might have an Oscar to boast, but this particular Joker is just way too over the top.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
