David Ayer says that Jared Leto’s Joker tattoos tell a very specific story

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

The upcoming SUICIDE SQUAD will bring with it an all-new incarnation of the clown prince of crime played by none other than Jared Leto. Much has been said about Leto's "method" of bringing the Joker to life, which included sending a variety of strange gifts to his fellow actors, but we're still a month and a half away from discovering whether it's all been worth it. Not everyone is excited with what they've seen of Leto's Joker so far, and one aspect which seems to get the most attention are the Joker's tattoos. While speaking with Yahoo Movies UK, SUICIDE SQUAD director David Ayer said each of the Joker's tattoos are there for a reason.

The tattoos tell a very specific story, and eventually people will decipher them and understand what’s going on, but obviously they’re contentious, any time you do something new it’s contentious. There’s very specific stories and easter eggs in those tattoos. And even his teeth, there’s an entire story behind that which is absolutely canon. It’s putting his history on his body. This Joker is a little more working class, who I believe could live in our world.

David Ayer also elaborated on where the inspiration for the Joker's new look came from.

A lot of it has to do with creating a character with some kind of history and footprint in our world, and not have this sacrosanct being outside of our continuum, our reality. If a guy like him really existed today, where would he come from? How would he do business? Who would he know? What would he look like? In my mind, I took a lot of inspiration from drug lords on Instagram. It’s a great way to understand the lifestyle of a villain.

SUICIDE SQUAD hits theaters on August 5, 2016.