The first look of Thalapathy Vijay’s Leo came out today, June 22, 2023, on the occasion of the Thuppaki actor’s birthday. On the surface, the poster seems to be that of just another star vehicle, as it has the leading man with a sledgehammer in his hand. At first glance, this basically denotes strength and power, something we are used to seeing in the male protagonists of mainstream mass entertainers. 

But on a closer look, it is clear that a lot of easter eggs are put into the poster, thus signifying the mastery of the director, Lokesh Kanagaraj. From the tagline to the blurriness, the first look of Leo heightens the expectations of the film. Hopefully, Leo will pave the way for a new leaf in Tamil cinema, where the star appeal of the actor is not the only requirement to make a film successful. The film will hopefully mix mass with good writing and inspire other filmmakers to do the same as well.

Many theories can be deciphered from the poster about the kind of film Leo is going to be; some may even seem to be a stretch. That's what happens when a talented director who has proven himself makes a film: the audience finds out things in the film that the director did not even intentionally include. The most important question regarding the film is whether it will be part of the LCU. Previously, Lokesh Kanagaraj had stated that if Leo is indeed part of the LCU, then there would be an LCU tag attached to the posters of the film. Even though none could be found in the film's first look, there is something that indicates its possible presence in the poster.

From the presence of Vijay Sethupathi’s Vikram character Sandhanam in the film to Thalapathy doing a double role again, there are many ways the poster can be interpreted.

A possible part of LCU

This may seem like a stretch, but the posture of Vijay holding the hammer, the hyena’s mouth, and the round-shaped Leo logo, when looked closely, are shaped as the letters L, C, and U. But many theories that initially seemed far-fetched have later proven to be correct. So for those who are eagerly hoping for Leo to be part of the LCU, let’s just hope this was intentional.

The poster was also blurry, similar to that of the director and actor’s previous and only collaboration, Master. The poster designer of Master, Gopi Prasanna, had revealed before that film's release that the blur was intentional and that there was a reason attached to it. He further stated that the blur signified a deeper meaning and revealed something about the character. Maybe the blurriness of this poster also indicates something about Thalapathy Vijay's character in Leo.

A possible double role for Thalpathy

The previous poster, released to announce the first single Naa Ready, had Vijay surrounded by fire, and this time around, the actor is surrounded by ice. Rumors have been rife for a long time that he is playing a dual role in the film. And the fire and ice posters signify the same. Or maybe Thalapathy is portraying a character with duality, or two extreme characteristics.

The tagline that accompanied the poster also seems to signify this. It rarely happens that we get a tagline with both dreaded demons and divine gods in it. The tagline says, "In the world of untamed rivers, calm waters either become divine gods or dreaded demons." 

Also, there is one more indication of Leo being set in the LCU. The tooth featured in the poster can be that of Vijay Sethupathi’s character Sandhanam from Vikram. Well, no one can forget the gold-toothed VJS from the Kamal Haasan starrer, so let's hope this is indeed true. This will, in turn, make Sandhanam the reason for Leo's entry into the LCU inhabited by Rolex, Vikram, and Dilli.

Whether any of this is true or not, we will find out on October 19, 2023, when the film finally releases.

ALSO READ: Leo Naa Ready Song OUT: Thalapathy Vijay's singing and mass moves makes for a perfect birthday treat to fans