What New Joker Jared Leto Can Learn From Gotham's Past Evil Geniuses
Batman will soon face off against Superman, but his true nemesis will always be the Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime will make his big-screen return in 2016’s Suicide Squad, in which he’ll be played by Oscar winner Jared Leto. Given that the Joker made his film debut nearly fifty years ago, Leto has some big clown shoes to fill. Here, we look back at the four most iconic Joker performances, from Cesar Romero to Heath Ledger, and see what Leto can take away from each one.
Cesar Romero in Batman, the TV series (1966-1968)
With his perfect elocution and dapper mustache, old-school Hollywood actor Romero had a dignified presence onscreen — yet his Joker was childlike, prone to tantrums and fond of toys. It’s this combination of gravitas and silliness that makes Romero’s villain so memorable; he’s like a children’s TV show host-turned-psychotic.
Jack Nicholson in Batman (1989)
Like many of Jack Nicholson’s best characters, his Joker is equal parts charming and sinister. Director Tim Burton envisions the character as showman, quick to laugh, and just as likely to drop a bawdy quip or recite a poem as he is to kill a man. His wacky catchphrases (“Never rub another man’s rhubarb?”) could use a polish, but the film’s notion of the Joker as “the world’s first fully functioning homicidal artist,” a performer who never turns the lights out, still intrigues.
Mark Hamill in Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1994)
Who would have guessed that Luke Skywalker would make such an effective villain? Hamill voiced the Joker in the ’90s cartoon, as well as several follow-up TV movies, series, and videogames. Ironically, the Joker being an actual cartoon character makes him seem slightly less outlandish in comparison to the other residents of Gotham City. Hamill’s Joker has the demeanor of a slick politician, a skilled manipulator who chuckles with sadistic glee when he’s winning. In fact, Hamill’s Joker laugh, full of barely-contained hysteria, might be the best one to date.
Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight (2008)
Ledger’s legendary performance is hands-down the scariest Joker yet. He achieved this by turning the character inward, dialing down the flamboyance and filtering the Joker’s craziness through a cold, mathematical brain. Unlike past Jokers, Ledger doesn’t laugh easily, which makes his dead-eyed expressions of joy all the more horrifying. This is the Joker to whom Jared Leto will be most often compared, and we don’t envy him the task of living up to it.
