Suicide Squad director David Ayer appears to be absolutely thrilled with Jared Leto’s interpretation of the Joker. In a recent interview with Total Film, Ayer praises Leto’s “absolutely incredible“ performance.
“When he steps onto the set the world stops,” Ayer said. “ Everything stops. What he’s done is so powerful, so menacing, so palpable, you can feel him. The crew stops working and just watches him. I have to get everybody going again because he’s so fascinating.”
The 30 Seconds to Mars frontman was hired back in 2014 to play the iconic role, which has been previously immortalized by Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger. “[He’s] this beautiful disaster of a character — what a big challenge,” Leto told Billboard last year.
Ayer added that watching Leto perform is a total experience, one in which “the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.”
The cast also includes Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Jai Courtney as Boomerang, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, Adam Beach as Slipknot, Karen Fukuhara as Katana, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag and Jay Hernandez as Diablo.
Suicide Squad hits theaters Aug. 5, 2016.
