Jared Leto to star in standalone Joker movie

Jared Leto’s Joker is ready for his close-up.

After making his tattooed, shiny-grilled debut as Batman’s archenemy in 2016’s Suicide Squad, Leto is set to reprise the role in a solo Joker movie, EW has confirmed. In addition to starring, Leto is on board to executive-produce the yet-untitled Warner Bros. project, which is in the early stages of development and does not have a writer or director attached.

Leto’s Joker movie would be set within the DC Extended Universe, which encompasses Suicide Squad, Justice League, Wonder Woman, the upcoming Aquaman, and more. It’s separate, however, from a potential Joker origin movie taking place outside the DCEU, with Joaquin Phoenix eyed to play the Clown Prince of Crime. (Confused? You’re not alone.)

Although Leto’s Joker was featured heavily in the marketing of Suicide Squad, he only appeared briefly in the film, which focused on a motley crew of supervillains coerced into carrying out a black-ops mission for the U.S. government. The movie was poorly reviewed but grossed $746.8 million at the worldwide box office.

Warner Bros. also has designs on a direct sequel to Suicide Squad and a spin-off movie featuring Harley Quinn, the Joker’s on-again, off-again girlfriend and partner in crime (played by Margot Robbie).

Variety first reported the news.