Jared Leto as The Joker picture reveal...FINALLY!

Now, whether or not you're a comic book or superhero fan, you've probably heard of a character known as 'The Joker'. How could you not? As the archenemy to arguably the most popular comic book hero ever, the Joker has appeared on screen numerous times - from being portrayed by Cesar Romero opposite  the Adam West Batman, or the darker Jack Nicholson to Michael Keaton's Dark Knight. Even Mark Hamill, most popularly known for his role as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, has knocked it out of the park numerous times; as he voices the character in the various animated formats, it's even more impressive how he fully embodies the character with just his voice. If you haven't already, check out Batman: The Animated Series; it's there where Mark's talents are best showcased.

However, you can't talk of the Joker today without referencing Heath Ledger's spectacular performance in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. Not only was it a standout performance on his own, but what Heath did with the character is really re-invigorate what a madman the Joker could be. He does what he does simply because it fills him with joy to do so, which when you sit back and analyze it in a real-world context, is absolutely terrifying. With respect to all past incarnations, Heath Ledger's performance is still my favorite thus-far.

I say thus-far because if anyone were to capture the essence of the character - the insanity, the mercilessness, the complete wacky nature of who the Joker is - it could most definitely be Jared Leto. You know, I listen to this film talk show called AMC Movie News, and the Editor-in-Chief there, John Campea, always says that when it comes to signing actors on for a film, it is never a mistake to hire talent. How talented is Jared Leto? Well, given the fact that not only is he a successful musician, in the 2014 Academy Awards, he won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in Dallas Buyers Club; if you want talent on your team, an Oscar winner isn't a bad way to go.

So, after all this news that the new incarnation of the Joker would be debuting in a Suicide Squad movie rather than a Batman movie, I have been wholly intrigued in the direction they would take with this new Joker character: and not just sixteen hours ago, the director of Suicide Squad David Ayer showed the world what our new Joker would look like...

Now, I have to admit, this Joker is not the one I saw in my mind. Granted, he has the makings of an average Joker - the pale skin, the green hair, the crazy eyes - but it seems to be a bit over-the-top from who the Joker is usually known for.

To start off with, I find that the tattoos are a bit excessive. The jester skull, the smiley face, the ha-has, they all seem a bit...what's the word? Obvious. Yeah, obvious. It seems to me like perhaps David Ayer really wants to shove his Joker down our throats, give us a reason to always talk about this Joker. That, tagged along with what looks to be some sort of 'Joker Gang' marking under his eye and the grill really seem to just move more away from the character, rather than toward it.

Now, if that's the case, than fair play, Mr. Ayer. I do see a reason for all these weird changes. I mean, we've been seeing the Joker for over a good fifty years now, and he's remained relatively the same-looking throughout. But I always found that to be the true beauty of it - I mean, what you have here is a villain who is almost as iconic as his hero counterpart. You don't need to make such radical changes to that kind of character. However, I do also respect a director's desire to shake things up, to put their own spin on things. While I might not have gone down the same route, I can definitely understand a filmmaker's wish to make something unique out of such a strong foundation.

The important thing to take away from all this is one simple thing: it's only a picture. I still have every ounce of faith that Jared Leto will deliver a stellar performance as the number one baddie of the comic book world. If anything else, this picture might be hinting at the universe Warner Bros. is preparing to give us all in this new DC Cinematic slate - something different, but nonetheless familiar.