‘Batman V Superman’ Star Ben Affleck Says Jared Leto Is A ‘Genius’ As The Joker In ‘Suicide Squad’

With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice currently out in theaters, fans are already starting to look forward to DC’s next biggest offering, Suicide Squad . Although Suicide Squad won’t be out until later this summer, Ben Affleck recently opened up about his part in the movie and discussed Jared Leto’s performance as the new Joker.

According to Comic Book , Affleck recently appeared on Conan alongside a host of other Batman v Superman stars, including Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, Laurence Fishburne, and Holly Hunter. While the topic of conversation varied throughout the interview, Conan O’Brien eventually asked Affleck point blank about his time on the set of Suicide Squad .

“I’ve got to ask Ben, because Ben shot scenes for Suicide Squad, highly anticipated. You’ve seen several people play The Joker. Any comments on his performance?” Conan asked Affleck.

Of course, Affleck left out any major details because of contractual obligations, but he did comment on Leto’s performance.

“I think Jared Leto was a genius but I’m bound by more confidentiality agreements than you can shake a stick at. I’m just going about my business… He’s brilliant. Masterful. Brilliant, brilliant guy.”

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly , Leto opened up about his interpretation of the iconic villain. “You just knew you had to do something different. You had to make it your own,” Leto shared. “… actors reinterpret roles, that’s been going on for a great deal of time. From Scarface to Hamlet . In some ways it’s really interesting to reinterpret, redefine.”

Apart from Leto’s talents as the new Joker, Ben Affleck is currently enjoying some praise of his own. According to Digital Trends , Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been met with a lot of success in the box office, which has furthered solidified Affleck’s future with the franchise. In fact, Affleck is currently slated to appear in the Batman v Superman sequel, as well his own standalone Batman film.

In speaking about Affleck’s future as the caped crusader, one of the CEOs for WME-IMG, Patrick Whitesell, explained how Affleck’s time as Batman might go beyond his part in the Justice Leaguefilms.

“He’s contracted to do at least Justice League One and Two , so at least three times wearing the cape,” Whitesell told the Hollywood Reporter . “Beyond that, though, there’s still the potential for him to stick with the franchise for even more movies.”

Whitesell went on to reveal that Affleck has already started working on ideas for the standalone Batman film. This confirms rumors that Affleck was set to write and direct the project.

“There’s a script that he’s written that is a really cool idea,” Whitesell shared. “So that’s out there as an option.”

Sadly, Whitesell did not divulge any new details about Affleck’s script. Without more information to go on, it is hard to determine when Affleck’s Batman movie will get up and running and even harder to predict when it will hit theaters.

In the meantime, fans can at least look forward to the release of Suicide Squad, which will feature a Batman cameo. With Affleck donning the black for the upcoming film, is Suicide Squadconnected to Batman v Supermanin any way?

According to Hollywood , Leto’s Joker might be linked to Batman in a closer way than originally thought. There is a theory that the Joker in Suicide Squad is actually Batman’s former sidekick, Jason Todd. There are several clues that add weight to this theory, including Robin’s suit hanging in Batman’s cave with Joker’s graffiti written all over it.

Suicide Squad is scheduled to open in theaters August 5, 2016.

Tell us! Do you agree with Ben Affleck? Let us know in the comments and check out the latest Suicide Squad trailer below.

[Image via Warner Bros]