Suicide Squad: Jared Leto had a dead pig sent to the cast because he is The Joker

'And then he sends Margot Robbie a black rat, that was still alive in a box'

Whenever there’s any talk about Jared Leto playing The Joker in Suicide Squad, there’s always a big, purple-waistcoat wearing elephant in the room; the fact Heath Ledger played and absolutely nailed the character.

Ledger, who received a posthumous Oscar for his role in The Dark Knight, gave the character both a depth and craziness to the Joker unseen in Cesar Romero or Jack Nicolson’s portrayals of the Batman villain. It would be fair to say Leto has a lot to live up to.

Thanks to co-star Viola Davis, who plays a government agent in charge of the squad, we’ve had a glimpse into just how Leto has been preparing for the iconic role.

According to the actor, the 30-Seconds to Mars frontman introduced himself to the cast by sending them a dead pig and sent Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn) a black rat in a box.

"The henchman came in with a dead pig and plopped it on the table and then he walked out. And that was our introduction to Jared Leto," she told Vanity Fair.

"Now I'm terrified just as a person thinking 'Is he crazy?' But the second part was, 'Oh shit, I've got to have my stuff together'. You talk about commitment. And then he sends Margot Robbie a black rat, that was still alive in a box. She screamed, and then she kept it."

Previously, Will Smith revealed he had never actually met Jared Leto on set, saying he “only ever met The Joker”, while one of the producers said “Leto in many ways isolated himself” when filming.