There's a lot riding on actor Jared Leto, as he will be portraying DC's most possibly iconic villain (The Joker) on the big screen only eight years after the late Heath Ledger redefined the role with his award-winning performance.

In a recent interview with Billboard the actor finally opened up about the role and what he's doing to prepare for it.

"I'm trying to gain a lot of weight," Leto stated, "It means I have to eat every couple of hours -- and I'm terrible at eating a lot."

It was reported that the actor was actually eating vegan tacos during the interview.

Past actors who have played The Joker haven't reported having to gain weight for the role, but judging from Leto's fairly small stature, some weight may not hurt his portrayal.

It's at least apparent the actor is taking the role seriously. He also states:

"The opportunity to take on this nearly Shakespearean character -- that's what graphic novels and comic books are becoming, right? [He's] this beautiful disaster of a character -- what a big challenge."

This could mean a lot to what we can expect in his role. It sounds like fans can expect a whole new take on the villain that has not yet been tapped into.

"Read Billboard's full cover story about Jared Leto -- and fellow musician-actors including Jennifer Hudson and Jack Black -- on Friday, Feb. 20," writes Billboard.