Viewers and critics alike argue that there was not a single great DC movie after The Dark Knight trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan, and perhaps, one of the reasons the trilogy was so well acclaimed was Heath Ledger as the Joker. Over the decades, we’ve seen many actors perform as the Joker, but now it seems there will never be the one to beat the iconic Joker from The Dark Knight trilogy. His figure never left a single critic, fan, college essay writer, or even philosopher indifferent since it represented a primordial chaotic force that brought destruction for the sake of destruction.
After that Suicide Squad version of the Joker we all wish to forget, fans thought DC would not risk bringing in another interpretation of that character any time soon. But there will be a new film dedicated to the origin of the Man Who Laughs with ingenious Joaquin Phoenix playing the lead. So is there any chance the new version of the famous character will stand anywhere near the iconic performance of Heath Ledger? Hard to tell, considering the movie is not out yet, but we would like to make an educated guess on that matter.
What We Know?
There is no doubt in Joaquin Phoenix’s acting talent, and judging from the movie’s trailer, we are up for some really emotional and deep performances. There exists a difference between the comic book Joker, cartoon Joker, and movie Joker: we’ve already seen a mob boss, a mentally deranged psychopath, a jolly trickster, an anarchist, and many more performed by different actors and written by different authors. Phoenix’s Joker is going to be a deeply traumatised man, a desperate man who is forced to commit horrible things to fight injustice the way he sees it. Maybe, this Joker is the villain Gotham deserves.
Who is Ledger’s Joker?
We know much more about Ledger’s Joker though. This one is the mastermind anarchist who thrives in chaos, the one who creates this chaos, and the one who manipulates it to get what he wants. Some even say Ledger’s character is not a bad guy in the movie and that his plan eventually leads to the ultimate good for Gotham and its people, even though this plan causes significant collateral damage along the way.
What is even more important to that character is his rivalry with the Dark Knight himself. You can tell Batman and Joker are two sides of the same coin, and that is exactly what Nolan shows us in his movie. In the end, the fight between Joker and Batman leads to positive outcomes for the city: the mob is gone, the corrupt politicians and policeman are gone, the city gets its hero, and Batman is finally free to rest. Until Bane shows up, of course.
No Batman in the Upcoming Film
As far as we are concerned, there will be no Batman in the new Joker movie, which might be a bad sign. Can the Joker exist without Batman? In comic books, we often see the Joker’s obsession with Batman and his desire not to kill the Dark Knight but to hurt him really bad. In most comics, the Joker acts in response to the actions of Batman, and he always shows up to provoke his all-time rival, cause damage to his image, burn his house to the ground, or to hurt someone he loves.
So can the Joker be a viable villain without Batman? As Suicide Squad proves — no. The performance by Jared Leto was not necessarily too bad, but it just did not work out well in the film without Batman.
Do We Need to Know Joker’s Origin?
The other thing that makes us worry about the upcoming film is its focus on the origin of the Joker. Since his first comic book appearance back in 1940, the Joker has never had a background story, we never really knew who he is, who his parents are, what college he attended, why he does what he does, and what his problem with Batman is. Although several comic books hinted at his origin at some points, his figure was always shrouded in mystery, and that was a very special thing about that villain.
So do we really need an origin story now? What if by showing us the origin for Joker, DC kills off the magic surrounding this character? From our point of view, we do not need and do not want to know who Joker is, and we believe most of the fans would like this character to remain a mystery.
Preparing for the Worst, Praying for the Best
So, is the new Joker going to be any good? We would not bet on it, but we certainly hope so. The film has a really great actor as the lead, which is a good sign. Heath Ledger’s Joker will probably remain the unrivalled fan-favourite for generations to come, but it does not mean we don’t want to see a new take on that character in the future. We do put our trust in Joaquin Phoenix, for he truly is a great actor whose talent is worth a separate analysis essay, and can really bring new exciting shares to a beloved villain. In the light of DC’s recent failures, it is hard to make any predictions on the new Joker movie, but we still hope it is going to be good.
