The Joker has had a long and tumultuous run wherein many depictions seem to get the iconic character nailed down tight, and others struggle to stand apart. While not every portrayal of the Joker has been a hit, there is one performance that stands out. Heath Ledger's portrayal in 2008's The Dark Knight exploded onto the scene and was an instant hit with fans. The problem that has arisen, however, is that most live-action portrayals following this have attempted to replicate aspects of Ledger's performance. For any new live-action portrayal to be a hit with audiences again, it instead needs to depict something new that can surprise people with its efficacy.
The Joker made his first appearance in 1940 in the debut issue of the comic Batman. The initial portrayal of this villain was meant to be killed off, however, he was saved by editors and kept alive. Following this, the character continued to grow in popularity and emerged as the quintessential Batman villain. Exhibiting signs of psychopathy and generally being insane, the Joker was always meant to be a more dark and twisted villain for the Dark Knight to fight. Due to the censoring by the comics code, however, he was for a short time portrayed as more of a prankster than a murderer. This was reverted in the 1970s when the Joker was given free rein to return to his darker roots.
The History of the Joker in Live-Action
There were many portrayals of the Joker as the man in black was transitioned to film and television. One of the earlier performances was done by Cesar Romero for the Adam West Batman series. This performance, while fitting for the show and serving its purpose, ultimately hasn’t been regarded as the best portrayal of the character. The loonier aspects fall more in line with the prankster interpretation seen during the comic code era. The makeup has been mocked as well, with Romero refusing to shave off his mustache, therefore requiring the white paint to simply be applied over the hairs.
A later portrayal as seen by Jack Nicholson in 1989’s Batman felt somewhat more true to the darker themes of the character. This portrayal feels far more accurate to the intentions of the character and stands out as a unique depiction. This more mob-boss version of the Joker went over well with audiences and led to that Batman film finding great success at the time.
Heath Ledger's Shining Example
With a new reboot of Batman by Christopher Nolan, came a new depiction of the Joker. Teased at the end of Batman Begins with a playing card, casting was soon announced. Heath Ledger, who up to that point had only been known for comedic and romantic roles, was openly derided by fans for having been picked to play the iconic clown. Many thought this marked the downturn of the hype for Nolan’s Batman, with most believing that Ledger’s casting was a mockery of the character.
Upon release, however, a tidal wave of changed opinions swept through fans. Ledger’s performance was something new, dark, and ultimately more than worthy of calling itself a live-action depiction of the Joker. Fans hadn’t expected, and to that point had never seen, such a depiction of the character on screen. Ledger sadly passed away soon after filming was completed, and he would win a posthumous Oscar for his performance. With the popularity of the portrayal in mind, nobody knew how this performance could possibly be followed up.
The next big-screen performance of the Joker was announced to be done by Jared Leto. This performance was given some false hope due to strange casting having worked out for the character before. However, Leto’s performance was ultimately cast out upon release of Suicide Squad. This performance was compared to Ledger’s and found to be simply not quite as good. Some began to wonder if another performance could at all live up to the renown of Ledger’s portrayal.
What's Next For The Joker?
What this line of questioning misses however is one essential aspect, a new performance shouldn’t attempt to live up to that portrayal. That portrayal stands on its own because Ledger attempted to make the character his own. Ledger’s work on The Dark Knight is likely the best portrayal of that version of the Joker that will exist. The dedication to the role combined with the acting talent added up to something that can’t ever really be replicated. Anything attempting to do so will only feel derivative overall.
New portrayals of the Joker should instead focus on what new avenues the character could take. What might be a new interpretation or approach to the character that would make it feel fresh? This sole question is what made Ledger able to capture the admiration of Batman fans. His pitch to Nolan for the character fell perfectly in line with the world that had been established and felt like a more real version of how a character like the Joker might exist.
Any new depiction of the Joker needs to pay respect to the weight of the role and come up with something completely original if it wants to stand out. This is the only chance someone new might have at standing out as the clown prince of crime. Otherwise, it’s far more likely that any new performance will simply get a “meh” or a thumbs down. It’s not certain what exactly this new portrayal could do, however, nobody expected what Ledger was able to bring to the table. It would take something equivalent for the character to ever strike the fancy of fans again.