Batwoman: The CW Reveals Comic Accurate Joker From Upcoming Episode

As Batwoman fans know, the Joker looms large in Gotham City, tying directly into the origin story of Nick Creegan’s Marquis Jet, who seems on his way to becoming his own version of the character for the series. A new behind-the-scenes photo from the series offers a first look at the show’s version of the clown prince of crime, and not a grainy shot from the back like we saw in the episode. Young actor Kendrick Jackson, who plays the child version of Marquis in the series, posted a series of photos on Instagram, one of which included him with the unnamed Joker actor in full costume.

The below photo reveals that Batwoman‘s version of the Joker isn’t a radical departure from what comic fans know and love, and might just be one of the best versions of the villain’s signature look realized in live-action (especially on the small screen, and at least since Cesar Romero). Warner Bros. was previously quite precious about using the Joker in anything beyond the live-action feature films, so an appearance on Batwoman is as sure as sign as any that the studio has begun to soften the intense restrictions they once felt about their iconic DC characters appearing across all media.

The above photo is certainly from a flashback sequence involving Creegan’s character, who previously showed off his villainous tendencies in Season 3, Episode 9 of Batwoman. The actor is now on his way to becoming the first black actor to portray the Joker in live-action.

“It’s crazy. It’s wild, actually,” Creegan revealed to The Wrap. “Yeah, I’ve done a lot of processing the past few weeks, months, you know? It’s still surreal to me. It’s been a wild ride for me. You know, the reception of the new Joker, being the first person of color to play this role – the messages and the love I’ve been getting has just been overwhelming. It’s been a fun ride.”

“The laugh, for instance, is actually my own laugh,” Creegan continued. “People are like, ‘Oh this Joker laugh is so good!’ I’m like, ‘Don’t think I’m actually crazy, but this is how I laugh whenever something’s really funny.’ So I have a really weird, interesting – I call it my auteur laugh. That’s mine. So yeah, there are bits and pieces from other Jokers, but it’s very much an over-exaggerated version of what Nick would be like in this situation.”

New episodes of Batwoman debut Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.