Since the character of Batman was first created in the 1930s, the Joker has remained the superhero’s
most iconic nemesis.
The character of the Joker has been portrayed by various actors on the screen, from Cesar
Romero in 1966’s Batman to Joaquin Phoenix in the infamous villain’s first solo film.
Each actor has brought something unique to the role, though some certainly have been
more successful in their portrayals than others.
Join Facts Verse as we take a look at every actor who played the Joker in Batman.
Cesar Romero Although the Joker had been portrayed previously
in live-action serials, Cesar Romero is the main actor that most people think of when
they think of the first live-action portrayal of the character.
Cesar began portraying the character on the aptly titled series Batman in 1966, and also
featured in that series’ theatrical adaptation.
Before becoming the Joker, Cesar Romero was already a legend.
The actor had gotten his start in the industry all the way back in the 1930s, performing
in such roles as the villain of the 1934 feature The Thin Man.
Later in the decade, he could be seen in a much friendlier capacity as Shirley Temple’s
character’s neighbor in the film The Little Princess.
Besides the fact that Cesar Romero could act, he could also dance.
The actor could be seen performing elaborate routines alongside such stars as Carmen Miranda
in films like 1941’s Week-End in Havana.
The year after that film’s premiere, the actor volunteered for the Coast Guard and
went on to serve during World War II in 1944.
Cesar’s portrayal of the Joker didn’t deviate too much from the character’s iconic
visage and personality in early comic books.
The character was more of a prankster than a murderous villain, though his criminal pranks
still necessitated the character of Batman to put them to an end.
With his brightly colored outfit and larger-than-life personality, Cesar represented the Golden
Age comic book character come to life in most ways… except for the fact that the actor
refused to shave the iconic mustache that he had already been donning for the majority
of his career.
Jack Nicholson Although people loved 1966’s Batman, the
series had perhaps made the character of the Joker seem a bit too campy in the eyes of
the public.
Because of this, Tim Burton was advised to go a darker route when casting the character
for his 1989 film adaptation.
The film represented Batman’s first true blockbuster movie, and the character of the
Joker needed to be cast carefully in order to please the audience.
Many names were kicked around when casting the character of the Joker for Batman’s
first serious go-around on the big screen.
Such names included Tim Curry, David Bowie, and Robin Williams.
Tim Burton’s pick for the role was Brad Dourif, while Batman’s creator, Bob Kane,
wanted Jack Nicholson to play the character.
Jack Nicholson ended up winning the role, with the studio using Robin Williams as an
alternative when negotiating Jack Nicholson’s price down.
Although the casting of Michael Keaton as Batman was met with some initial ire, fans
were universally pleased with the choice of Jack Nicholson.
The actor had risen to prominence playing a variety of psychopaths, not the least of
which was Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
Although Jack Nicholson’s performance as the Joker may seem as campy nowadays as Cesar
Romero’s was, it seemed like a much darker portrayal given the time.
In fact, Cesar Romero later said that he was disturbed by Jack Nicholson’s performance
as the character of the Joker in the 1989 film.
Heath Ledger Besides Mark Hamill’s respected tenure as
the Joker’s voiceover artist on Batman: The Animated Series, Jack Nicholson remained
the preeminent Joker in the eyes of the public for nearly two decades before 2008’s The
Dark Knight came along with its shocking performance from Heath Ledger.
Not only did Heath Ledger totally immerse himself in the more serious take on the character,
but he also tragically died before the film was released.
The actor’s portrayal of the character was so successful that he was given a posthumous
Academy Award.
Director Christopher Nolan had previously sought Heath out to play the character of
Batman in Batman Begins.
Heath Ledger was only 28 years old at the time of his death.
The actor died of an accidental prescription drug overdose.
Infamously, Jack Nicholson was said to have warned Heath Ledger before taking on the role
of the Joker that it was quite the emotional investment.
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Jared Leto Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker
had been so successful that there was immense pressure on the next performer to take over
the role of the character.
The character was recast less than a decade after The Dark Knight's release, and the studio
eventually decided on Jared Leto.
The casting of Jared Leto was met with immediate anger, as the actor was considered too much
of a pretty boy to portray the character.
However, many Batman fans said the same thing when Heath Ledger was cast in The Dark Knight.
The Dark Knight’s Joker had been the darkest iteration of the character so far, so director
David Ayer decided to go a different direction when reinventing the character for Suicide
Squad.
Although Jared Leto’s role as the Joker in the film wasn’t its focal point, it was
still an important part of the movie that drew people in.
Despite the fact that Suicide Squad ended up making a lot of money, it was a critical
failure and disappointed a lot of diehard Batman fans.
Fans were particularly disappointed with the film’s Joker.
Besides featuring Jared Leto’s on-screen debut as the character of the Joker, Suicide
Squad also featured the on-screen debut of the character of Harley Quinn.
The character had been introduced as the Joker’s sidekick and love interest in Batman: The
Animated Series and has become one of the most iconic characters in Batman’s immense
lore in the years since.
Harley Quinn was portrayed by actress Margot Robbie in the film, who has gone on to reprise
the role twice since.
However, neither of these reprisals featured her returning to her position alongside the
Joker.
Jared Leto got his start acting on the short-lived teen drama television series My So-Called
Life and went on to achieve success in films like Fight Club and Requiem for a Dream.
In addition to being an actor, Jared is also known as the singer of the band 30 Seconds
to Mars.
The band is popular with a teen demographic, and Jared’s status as a teen idol certainly
didn't give Batman fans confidence that Jared was the right man to portray the character's
most infamous nemesis.
It remains to be seen whether or not Jared Leto will continue to portray the character
of the Joker, but it remains unlikely.
The actor did reprise the role in a brief capacity in 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice
League, which premiered on the HBO Max streaming service.
The film represented an alternative version of the 2017 film Justice League, which Zack
Snyder sadly had to quit after the suicide of his teenage daughter.
Director Joss Whedon was brought in to finish the version that ended up being released in
2017, which did not contain any appearances from Jared Leto’s Joker.
Joaquin Phoenix Although it’s debatable whether Joaquin
Phoenix’s turn as the Joker will go down as the most iconic, the actor can lay claim
to being the first person to portray the character in his own solo film.
2019’s Joker might not be the first time that the character of the Joker was given
a darker portrayal, but it arguably represents the character’s most dramatic portrayal
on film.
While Heath Ledger’s Joker was meant to intimidate, Joaquin’s Joker seems to have
been designed to draw sympathy from the audience.
The film turned the character into something of an antihero, with many of his more violent
tendencies being chalked up to mental illness.
2019’s Joker was produced by Martin Scorsese, so it’s arguably no coincidence that the
film closely resembles two of the director’s most classic features: Taxi Driver and The
King of Comedy.
In fact, Joker even features the star of those two films: legendary Hollywood actor Robert
De Niro.
Although Robert De Niro doesn’t have the biggest role in Joker, his role is a very
important one.
As well, his performance in the film received plenty of acclaim from fans and critics alike
after the film’s release.
Although most of the public seems to have taken fairly kindly to Joaquin Phoenix’s
unique portrayal of the character of the Joker, it remains unlikely that the actor will come
back to reprise his role as the character.
The actor is notoriously averse to long-term contracts and likely only took the role with
the stipulation that it was meant to be a one-off exploration of the character that
didn't tie into any other films.
Still, Joaquin has said that he isn't ruling out the possibility of returning to the role
of the Joker in some capacity if he thinks the project that he is being offered appears
rewarding.
A new Batman film is set to premiere in early 2022, though it will focus on Batman fighting
the Riddler instead of the Joker.
When it comes time for the Joker to be brought back to the screen, it remains to be seen
which actor will be chosen to portray him!
Until then, there are plenty of classic cinematic Jokers to revisit, including the more recent
portrayals by actors Joaquin Phoenix and Jared Leto.
Besides all of the aforementioned actors who portrayed the character of the Joker in a
live-action capacity, there have been numerous voiceover actors that have voiced the character
in cartoons, including the aforementioned Mark Hamill.
Comment down below to share who you think the most iconic Joker is or if you have any
ideas about who would make a good Joker in Robert Pattinson's Batman.
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