Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto portrayed the Sony Pictures’ enigmatic Marvel anti-hero, Michael Morbius. One of the most highly anticipated movie adaptations among Marvel fans, Morbius is about a character who is plagued by a rare blood disorder and is determined to find a cure for himself and others facing the same fate. This forces him, Dr. Morbius, to indulge in a risky experiment, unleashing the dark side within him.
In one of his interviews, Jared Leto discussed his technique and approach to bringing the Marvel Comics character to life. The actor delved into the extensive work behind his transformative role, including the use of motion capture technology, thorough research into the comic book source material, as well as the unique physicality that he required for the character.
Jared Leto opened up on playing Morbius after portraying the psychopathic Joker
During the conversation, Jared Leto was asked about his approach to playing Michael Morbius after portraying the role of the intense psychopath The Joker. Explaining how researching and gathering more information about the character helped him during preparation, Leto said,
Well, it’s different every time. You know, you look at the character, their circumstances, you dig in, you do the research, you educate yourself, and you hope to bring to life a character that’s compelling. In this case, as well, it is a character that’s never been on the big screen before so it was quite an honour to be asked to do it, and I’m excited that people are going to meet Dr. Morbius really soon.
Apart from this, Leto also shared his thoughts on the potential for Morbius to cross paths with Spider-Man and the infamous Sinister Six. The actor expressed his enthusiasm about the possibility of donning Morbius’ iconic comic book costume in potential future installments and also reflected on his return as The Joker in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, describing the experience as “really special.”
When Jared Leto met with psychopaths to prepare for his role
There’s no doubt that Jared Leto left no stone unturned to capture the essence of the iconic character, Joker, for the film Suicide Squad. Taking it up a notch beyond sending unconventional gifts to his co-stars, Leto revealed that he immersed himself in the Joker’s deranged world by meeting individuals who had actually committed heinous crimes and was also in touch with experts, including doctors and psychiatrists specializing in psychopathy.
Leto’s dedication to the role stemmed from his desire to match the memorable performances of previous Joker portrayals by actors like Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger. According to Leto, the Joker finds pleasure in violence, perceiving it as a symphony. And to understand this perspective, the actor sought insights from professionals and spent time with institutionalized individuals who had firsthand experience with extreme criminal behavior.
“To the Joker, violence is a symphony. This is someone who gets an extreme reward from the act of violence and manipulation. I did meet with people that were experts, doctors, and psychiatrists that dealt with psychopaths and people who had committed horrendous crimes, and then I spent some time with those people themselves, people who have been institutionalized for great periods of time.”
Clearly, Leto’s interpretation of the Joker was nothing like the previous portrayals and introduced fans to a fresh approach. This might be because he aimed to avoid any direct comparisons with the performances of Ledger and Nicholson. And hence, The Joker’s distinctive appearance, which included his vibrant green hair, piercings, tattoos, and silver teeth, shocked fans while Leto attributed these visual elements to a collaboration between his own creative ideas and the vision of director David Ayer.
Source: Comic Book Movie, Entertainment Weekly
