Fresh off the news that Warner Brothers and DC are in the early stages of developing a Joker origin movie that seemingly nobody wants, now comes some more positive news on who may play the infamous Clown Prince of Crime.

Following the news of this Joker movie – which will be developed as an origin movie that exists outside of the DC Extended Universe – one of the more notable pieces of information was that Jared Leto wouldn’t be a part of the picture. While Leto would still be returning as the Jester of Genocide for Suicide Squad 2 and Gotham City Sirens, a younger actor was being sought to play Batman’s longtime nemesis in said origin film. And now, it appears that Leonardo DiCaprio is the top choice for that particular gig.

Courtesy of Heat Vision, it’s being reported that DiCaprio is the man who Warners want for their next cinematic incarnation of Mr. J, although no offer has been made to the actor at this stage. While The Hangover’s Todd Phillips is on directing duties for the Joker film, more interesting here is that Martin Scorsese is set to sign on to produce. Scorsese, of course, has worked with DiCaprio on pictures such as Gangs of New York, The Departed, Shutter Island and The Wolf of Wall Street.

As mentioned, the original word was that The WB were looking for a younger actor to play the Joker in this movie. While DiCaprio is younger than Leto, there’s not that much in it; Leto is 45, DiCaprio is 42. If they could get Leo on board then it would certainly please many fans, and over the decades the talented DiCaprio has often been compared to a man who himself is no stranger to the Joker – Batman’s Jack Nicholson.

The current plan for this to-be-titled Harlequin of Hate effort is for it to be a “gritty hard-boiled crime film set in an early-‘80s Gotham City” with the feel of Scorsese’s iconic Taxi Driver.

So far, the response to this Joker movie happening hasn’t exactly been great, with barely a good word to be said about the concept. That said, the idea of Leonardo DiCaprio potentially playing the legendary Clown Prince of Crime is one that many could quite easily get on board with.

As ever, expect more on all of this as it continues to develop.

Following Ed Skrein joining-then-departing the Hellboy reboot over this past week, the film has moved to add another familiar genre face to its ranks.

As per Deadline, The Vampire Diaries and Hemlock Grove’s Penelope Mitchell has landed the role of Ganeida in Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen. A character directly from the comic books, Ganeida is best described as an elder witch who looks to put an end to the antics of the nefarious Nimue/Blood Queen.

Mitchell joins a cast that currently features David Harbour as Hellboy, Ian McShane as Professor Broom, Sasha Lane as Alice Monaghan, and Milla Jovovich as the villainous Blood Queen. The aforementioned Skrein had signed on as Major Ben Daimio just a week ago, although the actor then dropped out due to whitewashing fears after he realised that the comic-book Daimio is of Asian origin.

To be directed by The Descent’s Neil Marshall, Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen is set to go in to production in September.

With Blade Runner 2049 adorning the cover of our latest issue – available to purchase here – we’re all kinds of excited to see what Denis Villeneuve can do with his sequel to Ridley Scott’s iconic 1982 movie. And now, just to up the excitement levels further, the first of three short films has been released that aim to tie together the original movie and the upcoming follow-up.

Titled 2036: Nexus Dawn, the first of these shorts centres on Jared Leto’s Niander Wallace. Directed by Luke Scott, we get to see Leto’s character introducing a new batch of replicants to the world. Be sure to check it out for yourself below:

The official word on Blade Runner 2049 reads:

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

Expect to see the next two tie-in short films as Blade Runner 2049 edges ever closer to its October 6th release.

It was only last week that Deadpool’s Ed Skrein officially joined the upcoming Hellboy reboot – Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen – but the actor has now decided to depart the project already.

In an official statement, Skrein revealed that he’s decided to step away from the Major Ben Daimio gig after he realised that the character was of Asian heritage. Concerned that his casting may be seen as another example of Hollywood “whitewashing”, Skrein released the below statement:

“Last week it was announced that I would be playing Major Ben Daimio in the upcoming HELLBOY reboot. I accepted the role unaware that the character in the original comics was of mixed Asian heritage. There has been intense conversation and understandable upset since that announcement, and I must do what I feel is right.

It is clear that representing this character in a culturally accurate way holds significance for people, and that to neglect this responsibility would continue a worrying tendency to obscure ethnic minority stories and voices in the Arts. I feel it is important to honour and respect that. Therefore I have decided to step down so the role can be cast appropriately.

Representation of ethnic diversity is important, especially to me as I have a mixed heritage family. It is our responsibility to make moral decisions in difficult times and to give voice to inclusivity. It is my hope that one day these discussions will become less necessary and that we can help make equal representation in the Arts a reality.

I am sad to leave Hellboy but if this decision brings us closer to that day, it is worth it. I hope it makes a difference.”

From the studio’s point of view, Lionsgate added, “Ed came to us and felt very strongly about this. We fully support his unselfish decision.  It was not our intent to be insensitive to issues of authenticity and ethnicity, and we will look to recast the part with an actor more consistent with the character in the source material.”

With Rise of the Blood Queen set to start production in September, that means that Lionsgate and director Neil Marshall are now eagerly on the hunt for someone to step in and take over the Daimio role. Already on board for the reboot are David Harbour as Hellboy, Ian McShane as Professor Broom, Sasha Lane as Alice Monaghan, and Milla Jovovich as the villainous Blood Queen.

As ever, expect more on this as it continues to develop.