The Joker is Batman’s most famous antagonist and the fact that the character has been played by so many talented actors has only boosted his image. However, the Joker role is currently vacant after Jared Leto’s stint, meaning some artists are already coming up with plenty of capable replacements to give Batman some trouble.
Leto is technically the last actor to have played the character after coming back to shoot new footage for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, though Joaquin Phoenix’s award-winning performance in Joker will probably be more memorable. That of course is only a small part of a legacy that includes the likes of Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, and the late Heath Ledger, yet this piece of fan art focuses on a candidate that’s already related to a couple of previous jokesters.
See, for artist Skull101ify (@skull101ify) Ledger’s co-star in Brokeback Mountain, Jake Gyllenhaal would actually make a phenomenal Joker, a statement that’s not hard to believe given his performances in films like Nightcrawler. Here, the artist has gone for a unique style to suit Gyllenhaal’s Joker, more clean-cut than Ledger or Phoenix’s though without all the tattoos Leto showed up donning in Suicide Squad, all making for a pretty sophisticated look.
Despite Gyllenhaal being no stranger to the superhero realm after starring in Spider-Man: Far From Home, playing Joker is an entirely different ordeal, even if Ledger’s essence in Batman: The Dark Knight can’t ever be replicated. The Joker’s wide grin does fit Gyllenhaal, although that may be partly down to the slight resemblance he bears with Leto, his co-star 2002’s Highway.
As Matt Reeves’ new take on The Batman nears its premiere date, and despite that film’s choice to stay clear of the rest of the DCEU, it’s only a matter of time before a new Joker is cast. In fact, judging from some of the fan speculation floating out there, the Joker may have been spotted in The Batman’s Japanese trailer, with some pointing at Eternals’ Barry Keoghan as the new green-haired villain.
Another superhero who has distanced himself from contention in that race is Andrew Garfield, who simply stepped aside by claiming he could never do it due to the amazing work done by Ledger, Nicholson, Phoenix, and maybe even that guy who was running for office in Japan dressed as the Joker. Still, The Batman's trailers are having no problem building up tons of hype for the film without the Joker, so it looks like there is no rush to find the next one.
Source: @skull101ify|Instagram