With the DC Universe rebooted under James Gunn’s leadership, and Metropolis now established, it’ll soon be time to turn our collective attention to Gotham’s twisted landscape. And while Batman: The Brave and the Bold will give us a new Caped Crusader, there’s one villain fans are more curious about than any other, and that’s the Clown Prince of Crime.
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Previous live-action Jokers have left massive shoes to fill, from Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning anarchist to Joaquin Phoenix’s haunting portrayal in Joker, and of course, Mark Hamill’s voice acting legacy. Whoever Gunn picks will need to bring something fresh, unexpected, and fully committed to the madness. These seven actors could do just that.
7) Bill Skarsgård
Bill Skarsgård may be the most obvious choice for a reason. Best known for terrifying audiences as Pennywise in It, the actor already proved he can embody a nightmare-inducing clown, and that’s only scratching the surface of his Joker potential. He has already been the subject of intense fan campaigning to don the purple suit. His unsettling facial expressions, slender frame, and ability to shift between deadpan stillness and explosive menace make him an ideal match for a younger, more volatile Joker.
The actor’s unnerving presence isn’t just limited to horror, his performances in Barbarian and Hemlock Grove also showcase his range and his knack for walking the line between vulnerable and deranged. He’s intense. He’s unpredictable. He already feels like he might be one bad day away from cackling in a burning building. And with every single Joker list in the world pitching Bill Skarsgård, it would be dumb of us not to follow suit.
6) Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe playing the Joker is not a new idea, but it’s one fans just refuse to let go of. And honestly? They’re right. As the king of creep-factor villainy, Dafoe’s name has been in Joker fan-casts for decades, and, even Dafoe himself has expressed interest in the role, once floating the idea of a “Joker imposter” character.
The Spider-Man alum has one of the most expressive and menacing faces in Hollywood. He can shift from playful to psychotic with just a twitch of his eyes. Whether it’s his sinister smile as the Green Goblin or his psychological breakdown in The Lighthouse, Dafoe excels at characters who unravel onscreen in fascinating ways.
In a DCU that might need an older, more established Joker — perhaps as a long-standing nemesis to a seasoned Batman — Dafoe brings the gravitas, the madness, and the unmistakable laugh. He’s the kind of Joker that feels like he’s always been there, hiding in Gotham’s shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
5) Johnny Knoxville
Though some of you might think this is a choice out of left field (and some of you might even be asking “who?”), hear us out. Johnny Knoxville lives for chaos. The Jackass frontman has spent the better part of two decades launching himself into bodily harm and gleefully cackling through it. If there’s anyone who understands committing to a bit, no matter how painful or unhinged, it’s Knoxville.
Knoxville’s version of the Joker wouldn’t be calculating like Heath Ledger’s or hauntingly broken like Joaquin Phoenix’s, it would be disturbingly high energy and unpredictable; the kind of Joker who might throw himself down a flight of stairs just to make a point.
He brings real physical comedy and slapstick timing, but there’s also a sense of controlled madness that, with the right script, could translate into a compelling and more unsettling take on the character. Plus, let’s not pretend the visual of Johnny Knoxville in purple lipstick laughing maniacally while riding a shopping cart through the streets of Gotham isn’t 100% on brand.
4) Crispin Glover
Crispin Glover was born to play weird. The Back to the Future actor has built an entire career on being offbeat, enigmatic, and just this side of unnerving. His Joker wouldn’t need scars or green hair to be frightening, he’d just need to show up and speak in that odd, otherworldly cadence Glover has perfected over decades.
Glover has been a fan-favorite choice for the Joker for years, and his performances in films like Willard and American Gods show just how deeply he can sink into bizarre, unsettling roles. He is able to become his characters so convincingly that it brings a genuine discomfort for audiences. He’s the kind of Joker who’d deliver Shakespearean monologues about carnage while balancing a lit stick of dynamite on his fingertip. There’s something unnervingly timeless about Glover, too. He could play the Joker at any age, in any era. And that’s a rare gift.
3) Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage has wanted to play the Joker for years, and we’re fully ready to let him. In a 2018 interview with Batman-News, Cage said, “I always thought I’d make a great Joker … it would be the perfect one for me to go even more off the rails than I’ve ever done before.” Now, an even more manic Nic Cage would be something to see!
Cage has been on a career renaissance lately, from his meta turn in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent to his mesmerizing lead role in Mandy. He’s no stranger to genre films, and his larger-than-life acting style is tailor-made for a comic book villain who thrives on the theatrical. And his campy creepiness as Dracula in the 2023 movie, Renfield, alongside Nicholas Hoult, shows he has both the comic timing and grasp of the character assignment whatever it may be.
Imagine a Joker that leans fully into Cage’s surrealism—a character that’s terrifying one second, quoting obscure philosophers the next, and then launching into a psychotic laugh while burning down a theme park. In a Gunn-helmed DCU, where bold swings are encouraged, Cage could go full throttle and give us a Joker unlike any we’ve ever seen.
2) Jamie Campbell Bower
If the DCU is looking for a stylish, sinister Joker with a gothic edge, Jamie Campbell Bower fits the bill perfectly. Best known for playing Vecna in Stranger Things, Bower has already proven he can be both captivating and chilling, sometimes in the same sentence. He’s got the kind of look that feels tailor-made for the Joker aesthetic: sharp cheekbones, piercing eyes, and an otherworldly aura that makes him seem slightly inhuman. But it’s his voice work and psychological depth in Stranger Things that really sells his potential. Bower delivers monologues that drip with menace, holding the audience’s attention without ever raising his voice.
Although Bower has actually stated he would love to have a crack at Scarecrow in the DCU, his Joker could be the elegant nightmare version. He could easily play a young, charismatic psychopath who treats every act of violence like it’s part of an elaborate performance piece. Think Bowie meets Ledger, filtered through Gunn’s wild imagination. It would be haunting and unforgettable.
1) Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi is one of Hollywood’s most underrated character actors. From Boiler Room to Sneaky Pete, he has a knack for playing twitchy, intelligent, and morally ambiguous characters. That’s exactly what makes him a fascinating dark horse pick for the Joker.
Ribisi’s energy is all about nervous intensity. His characters are constantly on edge, like he knows something the rest of the room doesn’t. His Joker wouldn’t be theatrical in the usual sense, instead, he’d be quieter, more cerebral. A ticking time bomb disguised as a mild-mannered lunatic. He might not be the one throwing a pie at Batman, but he’d absolutely be the one planting explosives inside it. He’s capable of delivering layered, unpredictable performances, and if Gunn’s DCU ever decides to explore a more psychological, noir-tinged corner of Gotham, Ribisi would be an inspired choice.
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