It goes without saying that there’s a lot of prestige behind the character of the Joker. Back in 1989, then two-time Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson was the first one to portray the Clown Prince of Crime for the big screen in Batman. In 2009, Heath Ledger brought a new, more grounded Joker to audiences in The Dark Knight in a performance that would land him a posthumous Oscar for best supporting actor. Currently, Oscar-winner Jared Leto is playing a version of the character for Warner Bros. in the DC Extended Universe. That alone should be enough to make you realize just how important the character is to audiences and the studio.

This casting choice will be even more important in the upcoming Joker origin film. In the past, the Joker has always had either the Batman or a cast of other characters to play off of, but with the non-DCEU Joker origin film from director Todd Phillips and producer Martin Scorsese, he will be the solo lead (currently, both filmmakers are still in talks). It’s with that in mind that we must look at potential producer Martin Scorsese.

Yes, it was revealed that they are looking to create a ’80s crime drama in the vein of some of Scorsese’s best work, but that isn’t the only reason the studio wanted to bring him on. Yes, he could be instrumental in helping to shape the tone with Phillips, but there’s another reason, and we need look no further than the Joker himself.

According to THR’s sources, Warners is hoping to leverage Martin Scorsese to land Leonardo DiCaprio to play the Joker. That’s right. In locking down Scorsese, they’re hoping to attract the attention of one actor who’s seemingly made a point to stick to prestige projects and steer clear of big blockbusters.

So what’s the probability of DiCaprio actually signing up? It could indeed be minimal at best — DiCaprio’s pickiness has served him well in his career so far, so why would he give in now? That being said, this should at least give fans some indication about their approach to these movies. Like with Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, Warners seems adamant about bringing the prestige back to these characters with their non-DCEU entries. Personally, I wouldn’t care much to see DiCaprio play the Joker, but I do like what it tells us about how seriously Warner Bros. is taking the project.

What do you think of DiCaprio potentially playing the Joker? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: THR