Welcome to the mad house, Jared Leto.
Now that the Academy Award-winning actor has revealed his unique take on the Clown Prince of Crime for Suicide Squad, Leto officially enters the pantheon of famed Joker actors. And while it’s still too early to rank Leto’s actual performance as Mr. J, the official look gives fans something to compare to the likes of Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, and more to.
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And now that Leto is in the mix, we can finally revisit the question: Who is your favorite on-screen Joker, live-action or otherwise? Let’s look at the contestants, and decide below
Cesar Romero
The Joker needs to be funny, right? It’s his calling card; the defining trait that elevates him from being a simple mass-murderer. It’s a trait that Cesar Romero executed beautifully in the camp-tactic Batman ’66 series. Sporting a neon purple jacket and thinly veiled moustache, Romero Joker’s evokes a simpler time where quarrels could be settled through surfing contests.
Mark Hamill
Hamill voiced the Joker in the DC Animated Universe and in the first two Batman: Arkham games, bringing a Joker that, while rich in its eccentricity, also held a dark undertone just waiting to pounce at your jugular. The Joker’s peers and enemies shouldn’t feel comfortable around him, but they should also be able to not soil themselves in fear. Hamill’s Joker was that guy.
Heath Ledger
Jack Nicholson
Whereas Hamill, Ledger, and even Romero all disappeared into their roles, Jack Nicholson never let the audience forget who was underneath that make-up. The actor inserted his trademark sneer, body language, and cadence into the role, making a Joker that is forever synonymous with Nicholson. As the “twisted artist” in Batman ’89, Nicholson’s Joker maintained a trim a classic look that stayed extremely faithful to the comics.
Jared Leto
The new clown on the block. Swathed in tattoos and rocking a metal grill, this is certainly the most “urban” Joker to grace the screen. Besides the green hair, most of the Joker’s trademarks visuals, like the purple jacket, ruby-red lips, and ghostly white skin, are absent on Leto (for now). It gives the impression that Leto’s Joker will put the character’s clownish features on the back burner in favor of a street-influenced gangster with a twisted sense of humor. That could all change once footage is released, but for now it looks like Leto may have the most unique Joker yet.
So who do you think is the best Joker? Now that Leto is here, do you have a new favorite? Sound off in the poll and comments below!
