13 Actors That Would Make A Great Movie Joker
13 Actors That Would Make A Great Movie Joker
It’s being reported that Joaquin Phoenix is in talks to play The Joker in a standalone movie that recounts the origin story of Batman’s greatest adversary. The project is being directed and co-written by Todd Phillips, who it’s believed is championing Phoenix for the part.
Is he the best option to play the Clown Prince of Crime, though? Several actors–from Heath Ledger to Jack Nicholson–have played the role in the past, each putting their own spin on it. While Phoenix would certainly give The Joker his all, GameSpot has come up with 13 alternatives that might also be a good fit for the iconic villain.
1. Iwan Rheon
If Game of Thrones taught you anything, it’s how dark and demented Rheon can be, should the character call for it. Depending on the tone of the Joker origin story, that may be exactly what this movie needs. Besides, Joker’s misdeeds have nothing on the horrible things Ramsay did to Reek.
2. Idris Elba
It’s been said before and it’ll be said forever: Idris Elba can play anything. His credits are all over the map, including his role as Heimdall in all three Thor movies. For an actor like Elba, digging into someone like The Joker would surely expose sides of the character fans have never seen before.
3. Oscar Isaac
As with Elba, Oscar Isaac is one of those actors who can disappear into just about any role he takes on. With that in mind, seeing him in The Joker’s makeup is an exciting prospect. Besides, he deserves to play a better comic book villain than the titular baddie in X-Men: Apocalypse.
4. Cameron Monaghan
One of the exciting things Gotham has done with its version of the Batman canon was the introduction of Jerome Valeska. The character, played by Cameron Monaghan, is as close as the series has gotten to introducing The Joker yet, and the actor has portrayed the maniac perfectly. While Monaghan getting his own Joker movie is a longshot, as it would be confusing to anyone who watched Gotham, he would absolutely knock it out of the park–plus he’s got the laugh down perfectly.
5. Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy may have cut his teeth in the DC films universe as Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, he still has plenty of comic book villain potential. If 2005’s Red Eye proves anything, it’s that he can easily transform himself into the kind of maniac that becomes The Joker.
6. Gary Oldman
Commissioner Gordon? Say it isn’t so! Casting Gary Oldman, who played one of the heroes of the Dark Knight trilogy, as the ultimate Batman villain would be both a fun and ridiculous choice. Oldman obviously has the acting chops to pull off something like The Joker. At 59 years old, his age may work against him given that this is an origin story, though. Still, if prosthetics can turn him into Winston Churchill for Darkest Hour, why not a maniacal clown?
7. Jim Carrey
Riddle me this, riddle me that… Why let Jim Carrey’s Riddler be his only experience against the Bat? Depending on what kind of movie director Todd Phillips is making, Carrey could portray a Joker very much in line with Cesar Romero’s take on the character from the original Batman TV show. Besides, his Riddler in Batman Forever was practically The Joker with question marks all over him anyway, right?
8. Michael B. Jordan
He’s firmly implanted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so the chances of Michael B. Jordan making a jump to the world of DC Comics seems slim. That said, his Black Panther role of Killmonger is one of the absolute best Marvel has ever offered. If given the chance, there’s little doubt he’d elevate DC villains the same way.
9. Nicolas Cage
If there’s any actor that defines “let’s get crazy,” it’s Nicolas Cage. While casting him as The Joker would clearly be one of the most ridiculous things you could imagine, it’s also something that would be endlessly entertaining. It’s also not out of the realm of possibility. After all, Cage was cast as Superman once upon a time.
10. Ryan Gosling
The only thing scarier than a screaming mad clown is a quiet, plotting one with a mischievous smile on his face. Quiet is what Gosling does best, and seeing a brooding Joker contemplating his every move would be a sight to behold.
11. Terry Crews
Unlike the quiet Joker Gosling would play, Terry Crews would go in the absolute opposite direction. Brooklyn Nine-Nine has shown the actor has no problem getting laugh-out-loud funny, which could be an interesting direction to take The Joker. What’s more, unlike most of these options, he’s ripped. Can you imagine The Joker cracking jokes while beating his foes to death?
12. Willen Dafoe
As with Oldman, Willem Dafoe’s age would play against him in a Joker origin movie. Given his range as an actor–including his performance of a mad Norman Osbourn in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man–it’s easy to see that he could dig deep and pull out the kind of manic portrayal of The Joker many would love to see.
13. Mark Hamill
To be fair, this one is a bit of a cheat. Mark Hamill has played the Joker multiple times in animated form. His take on the character is considered iconic. That said, he’s never gotten the chance to do it in live-action and deserves the opportunity. While the movie in question is an origin story, which Hamill may be too old for, he could play an older version of the Clown Prince of Crime, retelling his own story.