Jared Leto hasn’t had enough of playing twisted characters: The actor is in talks to star in a movie adaptation of the Bloodshot comics, according to Deadline. He would play the ruthless protagonist, Angelo Mortalli, also known as Bloodshot.
Leto most recently starred in Suicide Squad as the psychopathic supervillain Joker, and his performance made many fans disappointed they did not get to see more of him in the film. With such a large ensemble cast making up the team of villains-turned-heroes, the Joker’s scenes were more limited than some viewers — and even Leto — seemed to expect going into the film. However, the actor showed that he is more than capable of portraying a homicidal, yet compelling, character.
Bloodshot is definitely similar in that way to the Joker. In the Valiant-published comics, the character is hardly a traditional “good guy.” He starts out involved in a crime family until they betray him and when he seeks help from law enforcement, he ends up becoming the unwilling subject of an experimental procedure. Left with superhuman abilities and no memory, he is angry and confused. He manages to escape and begins to piece back his identity, which then inspires him to seek revenge on those who wronged him.
Assuming Leto reaches a deal for the film, he will have his work cut out for him if he takes the same approach he did when playing the Joker. For Suicide Squad, he infamously stayed in character throughout production, even reportedly harassing his co-stars with Joker-like pranks, such as sending them dead rats and condoms. Who knows what strange antics his co-stars would have to put up with this time?
Bloodshot will be directed by Neal Moritz and is part of a five-film deal between Valiant and DMG; it is set to be the second in the series, following Harbinger, which has yet to be released. The plan is reportedly for the first two films to get sequels and for them to ultimately cross over in Harbinger Wars, meaning we would see a lot of Leto as Bloodshot before all was said and done.
