When Jared Leto was cast as the Joker in Suicide Squad, moviegoers weren’t sure if the actor could live up to previous iterations of the character. From Jack Nicholson to Heath Ledger, the Joker’s live-action history is a lauded one, and Leto continued the trend with his terrifying (albeit short) scenes in Suicide Squad. The actor famously went method to create his version of the Joker, and news sites reported on Leto’s wacky behavior while he was shooting on-set. And, now, Leto is explaining why he dug so deep for the role.

In an exclusive clip from Collider, fans are treated to a behind-the-scenes special from the upcoming Suicide Squad Blu-ray. The footage is meant to show fans just how Leto used method acting to secure his ‘Joker mindset,’ and director David Ayer also provided commentary about the actor’s transformation.

During the video, Leto said he had to explore the Joker because he wanted to uncover things which no other actor had done before.

“This role has always been interpreted so beautifully, but then there’s the other side: What else can you uncover?” he said. “What other parts of this story or this life, what can you do that hasn’t been done? That side of me that likes exploration, that likes adventure, that likes to push the envelope, that was set on fire immediately. I knew that I was going to have to dive really deep and go to a place that I’ve never gone before.”

Ayer also spoke to Leto’s dedication and said he eventually had to say “goodbye to Jared” and greet the Joker on set everyday.

“During the process of figuring out the Joker and helping Jared create that character, I kinda had to say goodbye to Jared. There was a point when he went away and was replaced slowly and surely by the Joker,” Ayer explained. “It was a fascinating process to watch. There was this really nice guy, a good guy with a lot of depth to him, he’s a very thoughtful person … the Joker is not someone you’d say is a really good guy.”

It feels good to be bad…Assemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself?

Written and directed by David Ayer based on the characters from DC Comics, the film stars Will Smith (Ali), Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club), Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street), Joel Kinnaman (RoboCop) and Viola Davis (The Help). The cast also includes Jai Courtney (Insurgent), Jay Hernandez (Takers), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Thor: The Dark World), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors), Scott Eastwood (Fury), Cara Delevingne (Paper Towns), Adam Beach (Cowboys & Aliens), and Karen Fukuhara in her feature film debut. It is produced by Charles Roven and Richard Suckle, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Colin Wilson and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.

(Photo: DC Entertainment)

NEXT: Suicide Squad: Jared Leto Says Enough Joker Footage Was Shot To Create A Rated R Version / Jared Leto Had Suicide Squad Cast Call Him Mr. J On Set / Jared Leto Says He Fell In Love With The Joker / Jared Leto Explains Why He Gave Odd Gifts, Poems To Suicide Squad Co-Stars

Suicide Squad: The Extended Cut will be released on Digital Download on November 28, and on Blu-ray (4K and 3D) on December 5.

The DCEU continues with Wonder Woman opens in theaters on June 2, 2017, followed by Justice League on November 17, 2017; Aquaman on July 27, 2018; Shazam on April 5, 2019; Justice League 2 on June 14, 2019; Cyborg on April 3, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps on July 24, 2020. The Flash, The Batman, Dark Universe and Man of Steel 2 are currently without a release dates.

[H/T] Collider