Oscar winner Jared Leto will executive produce and star in a stand-alone feature for Warners as 'The Joker', reprising his role spinning off from director David Ayer's "Suicide Squad":
Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson, the 'Joker' debuted in the first issue of DC Comics' "Batman" (April 25, 1940)...
...inspired by the German Expressionist film "The Man Who Laughs", based on the novel by author Victor Hugo.
Actor Conrad Veidt plays 'Gwynplaine', whose father is sentenced to death and that Gwynplaine's face be permanently disfigured into a grotesque grin, after they offend 'King James II'.
Gwynplaine becomes a traveling freak, showcasing his disfigurement for money, while falling in love with a blind woman.
DC's 'Joker', is usually portrayed as a deranged, criminal mastermind, with a warped, sadistic sense of humor.
He evolved into a 'goofy prankster' in the late 1950's in response to regulations by the 'Comics Code Authority'...
...before returning to his darker roots.
The most common origin story sees him falling into a tank of chemical waste...
...bleaching his skin white, hair green and lips bright red, with the resulting disfigurement driving him insane.
...(played by Cesar Romero) and in film by Jack Nicholson in "Batman" (1989), Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (2008), and Jared Leto in "Suicide Squad" (2016).
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Jared Leto as 'The Joker'...
