Margot Robbie & Jared Leto discuss their Suicide Squad characters

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

We're still a few months out from the release of David Ayer's SUICIDE SQUAD, but I'd imagine that Warner Bros. is hoping that it has what it takes to wash away the bitter taste which BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE left behind for some fans. I knew next to nothing about SUICIDE SQUAD when the film was first announced, but with each trailer and peek behind the curtain, it's fast becoming my most anticipated film of the summer. The upcoming film features an ensemble of unhinged characters, including Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Jared Leto's Joker. The pair recently spoke with Coming Soon about their SUICIDE SQUAD roles, which began with Leto being asked whether the film would show a possible origin for the clown prince of crime.

I don’t think I’m allowed to talk about that so much, but we walked in a completely new direction. I think we knew that we had to do that. It was important to do that. When the Joker has been done and done so well, it gives you a bit of an indication of where you shouldn’t go. There’s a bit of a map there. That’s the good part about it.

Keeping quiet I see, wise choice. Leto went on to say that he considers the role an honour but that he's "just the latest in the long list of people who have redefined and reinvented this character. The actors, the voice actors, the television series, the writers, the artists and the fans. People have taken the Joker and reinvented and redefined for 75 years." Leto's interpretation of the character hasn't exactly been accepted by everyone, but neither was Heath Ledger's at this stage. Fingers crossed that his take on the role will be as special and as different as those involved have been saying. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn will be featured more heavily than the Joker in SUICIDE SQUAD, and Robbie made sure to do her research so she could understand just why Quinn would want to hang out with the green-haired goon.

I did a lot of research on mental illness and codependency, I was trying to access a way in to understanding why she’s so in love with the Joker. I kind of decided that she’s codependent on him. Now that I’ve done the research, I realize that that’s more of an addiction than an illness… You see many sides of her. Sometimes she’s really funny. Sometimes she’s really mean. She just enjoys everything she does. Whether she’s doing something good or bad, she’ll have an equal amount of enjoyment out of it. She’s not always the most likable character.

SUICIDE SQUAD will be released on August 5, 2016.