There has been no shortage of Suicide Squad rumors after news broke that Tom Hardy would no longer appear in the film as Rick Flag. As rumors swirl about everything ranging from who will replace him to the plot itself, more details have also appeared about the Joker's portrayal on screen in what will be his debut appearance as part of the DC cinematic universe.

Possible Spoilers Below!

According to Joblo.com, the Joker in Suicide Squad will be quite different from Heath Ledger's portrayal of the character in The Dark Knight. Jared Leto's Joker will have scars all over his body after his numerous battles with Batman over the years. He's said to be inspired by Hannibal Lecter in the sense that he plays mind games and twists people's thoughts. Joblo says characters in the film are very afraid of him.

Recent script leaks from Latino Review indicate that the Joker may spend most of his time in the film locked behind bars before escaping near the end. His escape may indicate the character appearing in a Batman stand-alone film, which is also rumored. 

All the rumors make sense on paper. Zack Snyder's Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is an older, more grizzled portrayal of the caped crusader, one who no doubt has defeated the Joker and other iconic villains numerous times over the years. Since the Joker in Suicide Squad is rumored to start the film in Arkham Asylum, it seems likely he may indeed be there thanks to Batman's efforts. Rumors are even suggesting Batman himself may make an appearance at the end of Suicide Squad, further setting up a standalone film for Affleck's Batman and Leto's Joker. Considering how much of the Suicide Squad cast are Batman villains, it doesn't seem too far-fetched to assume that Warner Bros. and DC might insert Batman in towards the end of the movie. If so it would be the first step in creating the DC cinematic universe. 

All of this is only rumor of course. In fact, there are suggestions that the script is being tweaked in light of recent leaks, and the sheer number of rumors out there means that some of them likely aren't true. Even if Joker's role in the film isn't exactly what recent rumors have been suggesting, chances are Leto's portrayal will be something close. We will know for sure when Suicide Squad hits theaters Aug. 5, 2016.