Wait’ll They Get a Load of Me: The Joker Through the Years

Share This Post

The Joker has to be almost as famous as the hero he’s battled through the decades. He’s sick, twisted, funny, and forever a part of our culture. No matter how many times he’s reincarnated, Joker keeps fans amazed and amused. Obviously, there’s been a lot of hoopla over this character recently, proof of his enormous significance, and it got me thinking about those undaunted men who went nuts on film to become this glorified villain in the flesh.

Image result for 1966 batman the movie joker

1966: BATMAN: THE MOVIE

Cesar Romero was the first to ever put on the paint of Batman’s most iconic foe. Truthfully, I was born in the late 80’s, so this Joker I barely know. From what I’ve seen, it looks pretty damn silly, but it was the 60’s baby! Nevertheless, Romero will forever be a part of cinematic history – the OG of that maniacal laugh.

Image result for 1989 batman the movie joker

1989: BATMAN

It would not be until over twenty years later that another actor would take on the Clown Prince of Crime role. And while I’m a little biased since Jack Nicholson is my all-time favorite actor, there’s nobody else during that time who could’ve done it better. His portrayal is cartoonish and over-the-top, yet it fits flawlessly in to the world of Gotham that director Tim Burton created. And lets face it—he already had that God-given smile to bring Joker to life. Nicholson’s Joker will probably forever be the most memorable for me for the sole reason that he was the first one I ever saw at the movies.

Image result for the dark knight joker

2008: THE DARK KNIGHT

After the HUGE success of the 1989 Batman with a legendary actor being synonymous as THE Joker, who in the hell would try and bring that character back to life?! In my opinion, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is not only the best Batman film of all time, but Heath Ledger’s absolutely astonishing take on Joker makes his version untouchable. And while his death was tragic, it made him that much more haunting in the film. What an accomplishment to make an already established, overly done arch-nemesis feel unique, creepy, and original.

Image result for suicide squad joker movie scenes

2016: SUICIDE SQUAD

Jared Leto’s Joker is a little tricky. The look was drastically different than what we’ve seen before in movies, but that’s exactly what he was going for. The attempt to follow up Ledger’s performance was ballsy no matter how you approached it. The problem here is David Ayer’s Suicide Squad couldn’t match Leto’s performance, and the director even cut out a lot of what he was trying to do. In case you weren’t aware, Leto wasn’t too happy with the final product either. Is this the worst Joker ever? I’m not willing to go that far just yet because Leto shouldn’t be to blame. He’s getting another crack at it with his own standalone movie with Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. After that, we’ll have our answer.

Image result for joker joaquin phoenix

2019: JOKER

Who’s to say how this will turn out until next October when it’s released. Though, one thing is for sure – director Todd Phillips (The Hangover trilogy) has cast the right man for the job. Joaquin Phoenix is an incredibly versatile actor, and for him to want to tell this origin story, there’s something here that’s completely different from all the rest. Word is this time around the Joker will contain a grittier, more grounded approach and a much smaller budget. But if you’ve seen the images of Phoenix all clowned up, then you know he is up for changing how we see the biggest Batman baddie of all time.

Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore