Jared Leto has reflected critically on his performance as the Joker in 2016’s *Suicide Squad*, describing much of the surrounding reaction and mythology as “hype and bullshit”. His comments matter because the role became one of the film’s most heavily marketed elements, yet was widely criticised and later associated with reports of unconventional on-set behaviour.

Leto’s Joker was presented as a radically different interpretation of the character, with tattoos, grills and a more flamboyant style than previous versions. Although he reportedly stayed in character during filming, much of his footage was cut from the final release, and the film received a mixed-to-negative critical response despite strong box-office earnings.