From the not always clear past, Joker is portrayed on the big screen as a sadistic psychopath, but of great charisma. He is also a man with knowledge (chemical, computer, to name just a few) which is out of the ordinary. A creative and crazy man, the Joker represents absolute evil in cinema, the genius who is fighting to bring darkness instead of light into the world. This kind of character, however hateful, can only have a certain charm.
The Joker has always represented one of the characters coming from a comic book that is able to intrigue even those who have never been especially fond of the subject. This is because the character has become so deeply rooted in mass pop culture that he is immediately recognizable by anyone, as proven by the fact that, statistically, the vast majority of audiences who visited the theaters to watch Suicide Squad went to enjoy Jared Leto’s interpretation.
However, the Joker has had many faces over the years, and not just on paper, but also in movies and TV series. Therefore, this begs the question: what are the best versions of the character? We are going to explore in this ranking all the audiovisual interpretations of the Joker, to decide which one has been the most convincing. We remind you that, as always, like every ranking, this is strictly personal and we invite you to share yours in the comments section.
Cameron Monaghan – Gotham
While the scripting of this version of the character seemed compelling, at least at first, it became rather confusing fairly quickly and the showrunner of the series, Bruno Heller, was unable to make it as iconic as he would have liked.
The idea of a Joker that could be anyone was not bad at all and, basically, Shameless star Cameron Monaghan was excellent in the interpretation, but the problem was the botched and basically incoherent writing, which has not allowed him to imprint himself much in the memory of the viewer. A shame, a definitely wasted opportunity, in particular if you consider his aesthetically perfect appearance in the series finale.
Jared Leto – Suicide Squad
At the time the presence of the Joker was first announced in the Suicide Squad movie, years ago, fans went wild, only to be left disappointed to learn that he would be reduced to a mere appearance with little more than ten minutes of screen time throughout the film.
Disliked by many, this version of the character is in fact interesting, since for the first time on screen the gangster side of the character was explored, precisely as seen in the comic books from which the film is based. Leto succeeded in making his madness manifest, as well as in translating his comic book nature into facts, offering an interpretation with great attention to detail, which is the result of a remarkable acting effort.
The Joker’s look, at times understated with tattoos in full view, at times of great visual impact, contributed to make him potentially interesting, except for being abandoned by the production, which did not confirm him even in Birds of Prey and the phantasmagorical rebirth of Harley Queen. Such a shame, considering the potential he originally had.
Cesar Romero – Batman (TV series)
It was the ’60s and the series on Batman, the right camp and daughter of that period in aesthetics, it went crazy, becoming a great success. The Joker’s role was assigned to a great actor like Cesar Romero, who never brought to the small screen the best version of the character, but it was certainly the most peculiar, with its ways decidedly over the top and mustache covered with wax, which the performer refused to cut, as his distinctive feature.
While Romero’s Joker is ridiculously over-the-top, his colorful attire and excessive laughter have undoubtedly gone down in history, and are being used as an aesthetic inspiration in Tod Phillips’ film.
Mark Hamill – Animated Series
Well, let’s face it: Mark Hamill has been always known by the public for two roles in particular, that of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga and for being the voice of the Joker both in the Batman animated series of the ’90s created by Paul Dini and in other products about the Batman, such as the Batman Arkham videogame series or the animated film based on The Killing Joke.
Despite never having put his face on it, Hamill is by all rights one of the best interpreters of this character, partly thanks to an extraordinary voice that has always highlighted the madness, but also the extreme danger, beginning with the animated series, in which he was definitely more unwarlike than what you can expect from a character in a series for children and young people.
The maturity of Hamill’s Joker took place especially in the Batman Arkham saga, where the actor had the opportunity to indulge himself, rendering the character even more insane and cruel than he was permitted to be in the past, reaching incredible peaks of ability.
Jack Nicholson – Batman (1989)
Actually, this is the first real version of the Joker on the big screen, without counting Romero’s appearance in the 1966 film, which, however, was adapted from the series of the same name already mentioned. It goes without saying that Nicholson is still widely regarded as the best Joker ever, over the top but disturbing, poised between comic book and noir reinterpretation, and almost becoming a Dick Tracy-like character.
The coolest element of that version was to show him before his transformation, actually giving him an identity, with a name and a codename, Jack Napier for those who do not remember him, giving him a gangster characterization of other times clearly defined by his clothes. Certainly one of the Jokers that audiences will remember most fondly, not only because of a wonderful script, but also because of the actor’s captivating performance.
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Following years of more classic representations, Nolan decided to offer the public a more realistic Joker. Therefore, the idea of the Joker falling into the tank of chemicals which drove him crazy disappeared and he became a brilliantly insane man, intent on spreading chaos, with a make-up face and dyed hair, unlike Nicholson’s, who had to apply blush to his face to have the appearance of an ordinary person.
Ledger, who won a belated Oscar for this extraordinary performance, portrayed the character so well that he became iconic, succeeding in rooting him deeply in the collective imagination. The concept of a Joker, out of control, who, according to tradition, would become the evil counterpart of Batman, was perfect and still the public appreciates him, as one of the best versions of the character between movies, series and print media.
It was not only the actor’s histrionic performance that ruled the day, but also an inspired script, making memorable almost all the phrases and monologues of the Joker, whose concept design was created by drawing inspiration from real-life characters, like the diabolical Charles Manson, from whom Ledger took the tongue twitch.
Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
As controversial as it may seem to award the top spot to a version of the Joker that is so recent, to the extent that the film is being released in theaters today, this is actually pure meritocracy. While Nicholson and Ledger were great and the versions of the character they played were fantastic, Phoenix was able to revolutionize the concept of the Joker like never before.
If you were to think Ledger’s Joker was realistic, this is even more disturbing: a serial killer with severe psychiatric problems, a man who has endured so much abuse in his life that he now embraces a deeply disturbing nihilism. While Phoenix also played a Joker who has never come into contact with dangerous chemicals and wears makeup to “transform” himself, he is quite different from the one Nolan created more than a decade ago.
He is a Joker who doesn’t believe in anything, angry, dangerous, unpredictable: while many think he doesn’t have much of the comic book character that we all know, he is in fact very close to him and is a sensational version, troubled, human and yet almost demonic: in a nutshell, we are speaking of an unprecedented Joker, a real and welcome surprise.
Also Read:
