Barry Keoghan may not have gotten the part he originally wanted when auditioning for The Batman, but he still was cast in arguably the most legendary villainous role of all time. Now, the audition that landed Keoghan the Joker role has been unveiled.
With Keoghan slated to be the next iteration of Batman's arch enemy, the Joker, it would make sense to see how Keoghan got such an iconic role. However, it turns out Keoghan originally coveted the role of the Riddler, the main villain in The Batman.
In the audition tape itself (via British GQ), Keoghan is seen wearing what is the Riddler's typical attire, such as suspenders and a top hat, while using a cane, all while the classical music number "Danse Macabre" is playing in the background. Keoghan is walking around while looking curious about what his surroundings are. Then, as Keoghan is out of the camera angle, the camera shakes, implying violence is going on. Then as Keoghan walks back in, blood is spattered all over the right side of his face. Keoghan walks back while using his cane and smiling menacingly to show the kind of character he is. The blood and the smile served as the giveaway that executives believed he was the right choice, just not for the villain they were planning to work with.
Back when Batman was first gaining popularity as a character decades ago, fans thought the Riddler was basically a carbon copy of the Joker, but as comics grew darker and their characters grew more fleshed out, the Joker started becoming more of a homicidal maniac who was willing to kill anyone in the name of getting a good joke off. The Riddler didn't get as much development. He more or less was a crime boss who wanted to confuse Batman and Robin with riddles. While the two have become more different over the years, Keoghan's audition demonstrates why fans thought they were similar to begin with
The Batman's interpretation of Riddler gave the character a newer, much darker side. They made him much more of a mentally disturbed, homicidal maniac much like the Joker is. And yet, he didn't feel like a ripoff of the Joker himself because he had an axe to grind. If they manage to do the same with the Joker, who knows what they could do with the iconic character? The Batman definitely gave the franchise some fresh material. If they're able to capture a version of the character that doesn't feel like a ripoff of Heath Ledger's or Joaquin Phoenix's interpretation of the Joker, the franchise could take Batman to new heights.
That will be a tall task though because the Joker has gotten some all-time performances, and not just from Ledger or Phoenix. Anyone familiar with Batman: The Animated Series knows that Mark Hamill set the gold standard as the Joker. Those who watched Tim Burton's Batman from 1989 know Jack Nicholson gave it his all as the Joker. Even those who watched Gotham say that Cameron Monahan also did a great job capturing the character's essence. Keoghan is not the established name that Ledger, Phoenix, or Nicholson were when they played the Joker, so seeing someone with little star power compared to them should make Batman fans curious to see how Keoghan handles the role. It goes without saying that Jared Leto's Joker does not deserve any mention here whatsoever.
The Batman can currently be streamed on HBO Max.
Source: Barry Keoghan/Twitter