Summary

Though theJokeris one of DC ’s most iconic villain , rewatching his live - natural process movie appearances spotlight a handful of unpleasant truths . Long before themovies of the DCEUintroduced a shared universe of DC characters , the Joker was a primal part of the DC macrocosm . As Batman ’s most iconic scourge , the Joker has proved a major player in a number of the Dark Knight ’s outstanding adventures , and is a even part of picture show adaptation of the zep ’s world .

Over the years , manyactors have act as the Joker in live - action . Each new actor typically brings something new to the role , with each new version attempting to put its own spin on the Dark Knight ’s mythos . Across these many versions of the Joker to have appeared in live - action movies , there have been many great incarnations of the baddie . Even so , rewatching the Joker ’s movie appearances foreground a turn of rough realities about the character .

Here ’s every new DC movie confirm as in development by WB for 2024 and ahead , admit release date and where they belong in the franchise .

Collage of characters from Super Man 2025, Constantine and Batman II

10Some Of The Joker’s Best Stories Have Yet To Be Adapted

Many Key Storylines Haven’t Made It To The Big Screen

Though the Joker has appeared in many Batman movie , his many appearance have n’t truly done justice to the role ’s comic book history . Across the Joker ’s many decades of DC Comics appearance , he has featured in a number of the franchise ’s most iconic storyline . These have involved form of address such asThe Killing Joke , A Death in the Family , and more , but many such stories have yet to be adapted into live - activeness .

Joker ’s motion picture appearances are typically centre more on Batman than on the villain himself . What ’s more , the movies in question mostly tell some manner of origin taradiddle about the Joker , introducing him as a threat to Gotham City rather than adjust specific stories from the strip . However , when rewatching the Joker ’s movie appearance , it becomes all too clean-cut thatsome of his greatest amusing book moment have yet to be brought to life history in hot - actionon the freehanded cover .

9Cesar Romero’s Is Still The Most Comprehensive Joker

The ’60s Joker Came Closest To Comic Accuracy

Of all themajor villains to look in Batman movies , the Joker is by far the most iconic and prolific . The baddie has been appearing in adaptations throughout Batman ’s movie story , with Cesar Romero claiming the theatrical role during Batman ’s TV and movie tenure in the 1960s . Romero went on to dally the Joker over many years , and his version of the villain became relatively iconic in its own right .

Considering his riches of appearance in both film and TV , Romero was afforded many opportunity in the role of the Joker . This allowed Cesar Romero ’s Joker to become one of the more comprehensive takes on the character , particularly in live - action at law . The range of account and the wacky but black spin on the character appearing in the ‘ sixty moving-picture show and video show astonishingly makes Cesar Romero ’s Joker one of the most comic - accurate .

8Jack Nicholson’s Joker Was Killed Far Too Soon

A Single Movie Appearance Didn’t Do Justice To The Character

Tim Burton ’s 1989 movieBatmanintroduced a new cinematic spin on the Dark Knight , blending gothic visuals with a benighted but wacky tone . Alongside Michael Keaton ’s Batman , Jack Nicholson appeared as the Joker , with the motion picture outlining an inception story for its rendering of the villain . In the movie , Nicholson ’s Joker is an assassinator for an organized crime family line who is transubstantiate after falling into a vat of chemical substance .

Nicholson ’s turn in the theatrical role was first-class , but rewatching Burton ’s 1989 flick makes it unclouded just how short - lived the actor ’s chance to play the scoundrel was . Nicholson ’s Joker had so much potential difference to be one of the great live - action takes on the fictional character , but as he was killed at the ending of the movie , he had no chance to grow . The Joker ’s abrupt death finally held Nicholson backfrom becoming even more iconic in the use .

7Heath Ledger’s Joker Created Issues For Future Iterations

The Dark Knight’s Joker Redefined The Character

Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogyis widely considered a shining example of modern superhero cinema , withThe Dark Knightitself stand up out as the undecomposed of the three - celluloid arc . Heath Ledger ’s Joker stole the show in the critically - hail pic , with his take on the Clown Prince of Crime being one of the most innovative and memorable rendering of the character to date . Ledger ’s Joker exacted a brilliant plan to convey Gotham to its knees while peril the hypocrisy and subversion of the city ’s elite in the procedure .

Ledger ’s Joker unfortunately created a number of take for future incarnations of the character . The dark , granular naive realism ofThe Dark Knightand the popularity of Ledger ’s Joker saw a wafture of other decidedly grim and grounded take on comic record Hero and scoundrel . Heath Ledger ’s twist as the Joker became the benchmark against which all other Joker performances are assess , despite the fact that it ’s only one potential rendering of what the character stands for .

6Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker Ignored A Key Aspect Of The Character

2019’s Joker Missed One Of The Villain’s Most Important Characteristics

2019 saw Todd Philips reinvent the Joker and redefine the vital potential difference of comic book movies in modern cinema . Philips ’ flick saw Joaquin Phoenix step into the role of Arthur Fleck , a clown and would - be comedian populate with an unwellness that leave him feeling ostracized from society . Theending ofJokersaw Arthur in the end embrace his villainous potential , becoming the iconic antagonist .

However , Jokerseemingly forget one of the most of import aspects of the character . The Joker ’s backstory has always been comparatively fluid , with the comics never unfeignedly settling on a individual tailspin on his origins . relatively , Joker ’s entire assumption is about explore the character ’s past , which has long been one of DC ’s greatest mysteries . Doing so meant thatJokerattempted to dispel some of the puzzling aura that beleaguer the reference , which in turn felt like a misunderstanding of one of his greatest qualities .

5Barry Keoghan’s Joker Was Unnecessarily Shrouded In Mystery

Hiding Keoghan’s Joker May Have Been A Wasted Opportunity

DuringThe Batman’sending , the motion-picture show enter its own version of the Joker , wager by Barry Keoghan . The Batman ’s Joker was not shown on screen , only learn speak with the Riddler , seemingly teasing his visual aspect in next sequels . Though Keoghan ’s Joker made a capital coming into court in a deleted scene , he was still shroud behind clouded shabu , and not show clearly .

This approach to the Joker was at last unnecessary . As perhaps the most iconic Batman baddie , the Joker is not a character that should be so robustly concealed . Though an breeze of mystery is a key part of the character reference , too much ultimately wastes him , as the tease feels decidedly blunt with the character being obscured as he was . In many ways , The Batmanmight have been better off not featuring the theatrical role at all , as the tantalization was ultimately a toothless one .

4Conflicting Ideas About The Joker Make The Character Inconsistent

Varying Cinematic Interpretations Are Often Too Disparate

Something that becomes abundantly clear-cut when rewatching the Joker ’s movie appearance is that no two movie fully agree on what the reference should be . Each version of the villain is unquestionably dissimilar from the last , with entirely different ideas about what the character stands for . This mean that the Joker has been handled very other than across his many moving picture appearance , with each new iteration exploring different themes and ideas .

While this makes sense , it also ca-ca it incredibly unmanageable to directly liken different versions of the Joker , as they change so much in style and fictional character . The glide path ultimately lead to the different versions of the villain seeming inconsistent rather than original , as each interpretation appears to take issue with the others . Though the Joker is an incredibly versatile villain , so many contrasting ideas can often prove decidedly jarring upon rewatching his many appearance .

3No Movie Joker Has Fully Achieved The Most Important Aspect Of The Villain

Contrast To Batman Is An Important Theme Of Joker Stories

As Batman ’s most iconic nemesis , Joker is on a regular basis pitted against the Dark Knight . However , through the Joker ’s moving picture appearances , there ’s a regularly missed opportunity to research one of the central component of the scoundrel . His purpose as Batman ’s archenemy means thatthe Joker should stand opposite the Caped Crusader , with at least some thematic contrast in their respective stories .

The Dark Knightarguably came closest to the musical theme , but no Batman pic has sincerely explore the contrast between Batman and the Joker . Where Batman stand for monastic order , the Joker stand up for chaos , and where Batman is serious , the Joker should be the opposite word . However , the Joker of the film typically reflects Batman ’s tone , with grittier adaptations of the hoagie translate to equally gamy adaptation of the villain . This mean that the Joker ’s movie show on a regular basis overleap one of the most of import thematic aspects of the brace ’s relationship .

2Gritty Realism Can Only Capture A Small Part Of The Joker

There Is More To The Joker Than Dark Realism

Modern superhero movies typically fall into a distinct blueprint , and the Joker is not exempt . SinceThe Dark Knight , the Joker has become an increasingly mettlesome character , seemingly direct inspiration from Heath Ledger ’s take on the villain . The likes ofSuicide Squad , Joker , andThe Batmanhave all follow suit , place dark and grounded tailspin on Batman ’s patronising - nemesis . That said , this approach can impart something to be desired about adjustment of the part .

Throughout the Joker ’s comical al-Qur’an history , the scoundrel has undergo a bit of changes . Though he ’s undoubtedly a dark role , he ’s not without a sure amount of levity , with an air of flightiness often involved alongside his villainous antics . ingeminate gritty conduct on the Joker come along to have lose sight of that aspect of the graphic symbol , with Batman movies attempt to make the villain as terrifying as potential rather than merely maniac .

1No Single Actor Can Truly Become The Joker

Versatility Is A Big Part Of The Joker’s Character

consider the Joker ’s long story of comic book appearance , the character has undergo many change over his decades of bilk the Dark Knight . This has led to a wealth of different incarnations of the Joker , with many dissimilar aspects of the villain being search across his history . However , this conduce to a decided issue with pic adaption of the Joker .

in the end , no single player can fully comprehend the character of the Joker , as he ’s become a near - mythical bod within Batman ’s world . With so many approach to the villain having been successfully explore , there ’s no unmarried slant that can provide a sincerely close version of the Joker , and therefore no one worker can quite become the scoundrel . Though there ’s no real answer to the progeny , it ’s doubtlessly one of the harshest reality that motion picture adaptations ofthe Jokerare forced to grapple with .

The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic Good Book franchises and often vie with Marvel .   DC Comics started as National Allied Publications , founded by Malcolm Wheeler - Nicholson in 1935 . Since then , the franchise has explode with thousands of comical books , motion-picture show , TV show , and telecasting game . 2013 tick the beginning of the most late iteration of the superheroes , with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman . After several moving-picture show with mixed reviews , DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran .

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Upcoming DC Movies

Release Date

Joker : Folie à Deux

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October 4 , 2024

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July 11 , 2025

Split image of Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight and Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck in Joker (2019)

Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury

The Batman - Part II

October 2 , 2026

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The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.

DC Extended Universe