The Dark Knight Joker Casting Threads [merged-30]

[DDRSkata]

 

[VenomFang]

Nicholson did one of the most memorable Jokers of all time, perfect look, perfect one-liners, just perfect. Its going to be hard to replace that. I just hope they go alot darker, I mean the "PG-13" now was an "R" back then, so there is a lot more they can do with a darker theme now a days.

Nicholson's Joker ruined the character, which is why we haven't seen Joker since. Mark Hamill literally is the only person in existence that has ever brought any credibility to the role. Cesar Romero gets credit for nearly nailing the laugh, which Hamill later mastered. The voice of the Joker is a very iconic, set-in-stone kind of deal now, to deviate from it too far would seriously hurt the intentions and integrity of the next Joker.

Both Batman, and Gordon were both successfully translated to the screen in Batman Begins, without deviating from the animated series or the comic books. Joker should be equally authentic, otherwise it simply won't be the indisputable Joker. Just as Bale is Batman (to me and many others), Crispin Glover will be the Joker.

Joker isn't meant to be scary, or freakish. Tim Roth sure can pull off an angry monkey, but Joker is an elegant, beautiful clown prince, who wants to be your best friend, then gas you. His entire shtick, his 'super power' if you will, is Joker is the most charming, witty, fun person to be around in the entire world, and he is equally homicidal. Jack Nicholson's Joker was so obviously an antogonist, without any moments of humanity, he became a 'evil for the sake of being evil' kind of character. No motivation, and none of the allegory or metaphor behind the Batman-Joker duel.

Batman uses scare tactics to intimidate his foes methodically with purpose. Joker uses bright colors and gags to lower your gaurd before he kills you and everyone else. Batman is order, Joker is Chaos. Burton tried to draw parallels between Batman and Joker, and that is wrong. They aren't of the same coin, they are literally opposites. Tim Roth doesn't seem like an opposite of Christian Bale, nor does he strike me as someone who could pass as the lanky, ex-comedian Joker. Crispin Glover however, was made for this role. Some complain he hasn't the voice, well I argue neither did Luke Skywalker, until it turned out he did.

 

[paranoidboy]

 

[Crusher]

How bout Bruce Campell as joker.. haha that wouldbe great!

 

[Weezer]

Their new album sucks, though.

Yes, yes it did.

 

[P. Cushing]

MY TOP TEN CHOICES
1. Willem Dafoe
2. Tim Roth
3. Hugo Weaving
4. Johnny Depp
5. Mark Hammill

 

[Crusher]

MY TOP TEN CHOICES
1. Willem Dafoe
2. Tim Roth
3. Hugo Weaving
4. Johnny Depp
5. Mark Hammill

It would be wierd crossing Willem in to the Batman universe knowing he was Green Goblin.

 

[Timstuff]

Not to mention that 10 isn't five.

And NO WILLIAM DAFOE DANGIT!

 

[TimDrake64x]

true but the blue....good lord the blue

 

[Keyser Soze]

Nicholson's Joker ruined the character, which is why we haven't seen Joker since. Mark Hamill literally is the only person in existence that has ever brought any credibility to the role. Cesar Romero gets credit for nearly nailing the laugh, which Hamill later mastered. The voice of the Joker is a very iconic, set-in-stone kind of deal now, to deviate from it too far would seriously hurt the intentions and integrity of the next Joker.

This is a rather foolish comment. Jack Nicholson's Joker is generally considered, even outwith the comic book fan community, to be one of the greatest movie villains of all time. The Joker was simply amazing in that film, and is still a crowd-pleaser to the general audience. This isn't Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr Freeze we're talking about. This is a vilain who many rank alongside the elite of movie villainy, such as Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter.

The only problem with the portrayal was that it wasn't faithful to the comic. So, I want to see a Joker that's a dark, twisted killer, rather than the charismatic crime boss of Tim Burton's "Batman". But don't get me wrong - I absolutely love Jack's Joker. He's a great movie villain, one of the best, but I just want to see a different interpretation.

Both Batman, and Gordon were both successfully translated to the screen in Batman Begins, without deviating from the animated series or the comic books. Joker should be equally authentic, otherwise it simply won't be the indisputable Joker. Just as Bale is Batman (to me and many others), Crispin Glover will be the Joker.

You're taking apart your own argument here. yes, one of the great strengths of "Batman Begins" was casting. Christian Bale and Gary Oldman are phenomenal actors, and they were amazing as Batman and Gordon respectively. So therfore, in order to continue the trend, we should cast a great actor as The Joker. Someone like Tim Roth.

Casting Crispin Glover would only have been consistent if they had cast the guy who played Colonel Sanders in the KFC commercials as Gordon, because he looks exactly like the cartoon version. But that's not the case. Gary Oldman does not look like Gordon - he had to change his appearance to look that way. As you said, great actors have been cast in major roles. So why break the pattern to cast Glover?

Joker isn't meant to be scary, or freakish. Tim Roth sure can pull off an angry monkey, but Joker is an elegant, beautiful clown prince, who wants to be your best friend, then gas you. His entire shtick, his 'super power' if you will, is Joker is the most charming, witty, fun person to be around in the entire world, and he is equally homicidal. Jack Nicholson's Joker was so obviously an antogonist, without any moments of humanity, he became a 'evil for the sake of being evil' kind of character. No motivation, and none of the allegory or metaphor behind the Batman-Joker duel.

The Joker is a frightening character. I certainly think so anyway. And so does Christian Bale - in an interview with MTV he stated he wanted The Joker to be darker and more frightening than any interpretation of him we've ever seen. But this is a personal opinion thing. So you're interpretation of The Joker from the comics is equally valid, as you have evidence to support your perspective, just as I have evidecne to back up mine.

But one thing I can pick up on is how selective you are in the examples of Tim Roth you give. "Planet Of The Apes"? Yes, he was savage and animalistic, a requirement for playing a twisted ape, I'd say. Nothing charming and elegant about that. But then again, what is exactly "beautiful" about a twitchy, greasy freak who lets rats crawl over him anyway? Personally, I say the whole point is moot. I don't see him as a beautiful prince, I see him as a nightmarish vaudeville monstrosity.

But I'm straying form my point. You want to see charming/ Watch Tim Roth's portrayal of the truly foul Archibald Cunningham in "Rob Roy". He enters the scene, the picture of elegance. Well dressed, well spoken, the perfect gentleman. He is charming and elegant, and because of this soon attracts the hatred of a brutish thug. This leads into a challenge to a duel. Cunningham takes a theatrical bow, acting the image of class, lulling the brute into a false sense of security. The thug approaches, and with one flash, Cunningham's sword is out and, moving with the reflexes of a cobra, he's taken hte person out with one well-placed blow. For one second, we see the cold, vicious killer he really is. But then, the smile returns, and he takes another bow...

Batman uses scare tactics to intimidate his foes methodically with purpose. Joker uses bright colors and gags to lower your gaurd before he kills you and everyone else. Batman is order, Joker is Chaos. Burton tried to draw parallels between Batman and Joker, and that is wrong. They aren't of the same coin, they are literally opposites. Tim Roth doesn't seem like an opposite of Christian Bale, nor does he strike me as someone who could pass as the lanky, ex-comedian Joker. Crispin Glover however, was made for this role. Some complain he hasn't the voice, well I argue neither did Luke Skywalker, until it turned out he did.

Yes, this is all very interesting. But how does it relate to Crispin Glover being appropriate for the part. In fact, when you so excellently describe the true nature of The Joker, it reminds me of how great he is, and of how unworthy Crispin Glover is to play him.

Yes, Tim Roth probably couldn't portray a "lanky ex-comedian". He could probably pull off the ex-comedian part, but since he's short, being lanky would be tough. But when asked to describe The Joker in one sentence, who in their right mind would say "He's a lanky ex-comedian." Is that the most important element of his character? No, his insanity and his theatricality are far more important. And TIm Roth, being a FAR superior actor to Crispin Glover, can pull off both far better.

You say (correctly) that Crispin Glover doesn't have the voice. And as you say, MAYBE he could be able to change his vocie completely and give a great Joker voice. But maybe Will Ferrell could give a great Joker voice. maybe Andy Dick could give a great Joker voice. Maybe I could give a great Joker voice.

Yes, we all have the potential to give a great vocal performance as THe Joker, but Tim Roth has a far greater chance. Unlike Glover, he is well known for his great vocal talents. In the post you ignored, I talked a lot about this, but in brief, he is known for being able to do many different accents, British, American, and others. He never uses the same accent in two films.

Well, that's me about done. And you never said anything about the Tim Roth pic I found. I'd say he has the face for The Joker...

 

[FCEEVIPER]

I kid, I kid.

 

[Dark Knight]

when i keep thinking a darker version of Joker.....the only actor that i would have full confidence in to bring a different level to the role would be Sean Penn. He would be wicked as Joker....and he is a heckuva actor!

 

[Spidey-Bat]

I kid, I kid.

make a Mad Hatter one now

(he has brain washed a girl and fits Hatter physically.)

 

[my0pic_spidey]

This is a rather foolish comment. Jack Nicholson's Joker is generally considered, even outwith the comic book fan community, to be one of the greatest movie villains of all time. The Joker was simply amazing in that film, and is still a crowd-pleaser to the general audience. This isn't Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr Freeze we're talking about. This is a vilain who many rank alongside the elite of movie villainy, such as Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter.

The only problem with the portrayal was that it wasn't faithful to the comic. So, I want to see a Joker that's a dark, twisted killer, rather than the charismatic crime boss of Tim Burton's "Batman". But don't get me wrong - I absolutely love Jack's Joker. He's a great movie villain, one of the best, but I just want to see a different interpretation.



You're taking apart your own argument here. yes, one of the great strengths of "Batman Begins" was casting. Christian Bale and Gary Oldman are phenomenal actors, and they were amazing as Batman and Gordon respectively. So therfore, in order to continue the trend, we should cast a great actor as The Joker. Someone like Tim Roth.

Casting Crispin Glover would only have been consistent if they had cast the guy who played Colonel Sanders in the KFC commercials as Gordon, because he looks exactly like the cartoon version. But that's not the case. Gary Oldman does not look like Gordon - he had to change his appearance to look that way. As you said, great actors have been cast in major roles. So why break the pattern to cast Glover?



The Joker is a frightening character. I certainly think so anyway. And so does Christian Bale - in an interview with MTV he stated he wanted The Joker to be darker and more frightening than any interpretation of him we've ever seen. But this is a personal opinion thing. So you're interpretation of The Joker from the comics is equally valid, as you have evidence to support your perspective, just as I have evidecne to back up mine.

But one thing I can pick up on is how selective you are in the examples of Tim Roth you give. "Planet Of The Apes"? Yes, he was savage and animalistic, a requirement for playing a twisted ape, I'd say. Nothing charming and elegant about that. But then again, what is exactly "beautiful" about a twitchy, greasy freak who lets rats crawl over him anyway? Personally, I say the whole point is moot. I don't see him as a beautiful prince, I see him as a nightmarish vaudeville monstrosity.

But I'm straying form my point. You want to see charming/ Watch Tim Roth's portrayal of the truly foul Archibald Cunningham in "Rob Roy". He enters the scene, the picture of elegance. Well dressed, well spoken, the perfect gentleman. He is charming and elegant, and because of this soon attracts the hatred of a brutish thug. This leads into a challenge to a duel. Cunningham takes a theatrical bow, acting the image of class, lulling the brute into a false sense of security. The thug approaches, and with one flash, Cunningham's sword is out and, moving with the reflexes of a cobra, he's taken hte person out with one well-placed blow. For one second, we see the cold, vicious killer he really is. But then, the smile returns, and he takes another bow...



Yes, this is all very interesting. But how does it relate to Crispin Glover being appropriate for the part. In fact, when you so excellently describe the true nature of The Joker, it reminds me of how great he is, and of how unworthy Crispin Glover is to play him.

Yes, Tim Roth probably couldn't portray a "lanky ex-comedian". He could probably pull off the ex-comedian part, but since he's short, being lanky would be tough. But when asked to describe The Joker in one sentence, who in their right mind would say "He's a lanky ex-comedian." Is that the most important element of his character? No, his insanity and his theatricality are far more important. And TIm Roth, being a FAR superior actor to Crispin Glover, can pull off both far better.

You say (correctly) that Crispin Glover doesn't have the voice. And as you say, MAYBE he could be able to change his vocie completely and give a great Joker voice. But maybe Will Ferrell could give a great Joker voice. maybe Andy Dick could give a great Joker voice. Maybe I could give a great Joker voice.

Yes, we all have the potential to give a great vocal performance as THe Joker, but Tim Roth has a far greater chance. Unlike Glover, he is well known for his great vocal talents. In the post you ignored, I talked a lot about this, but in brief, he is known for being able to do many different accents, British, American, and others. He never uses the same accent in two films.

Well, that's me about done. And you never said anything about the Tim Roth pic I found. I'd say he has the face for The Joker...

It all boils down to the looks.not the voice.like u said everyone is capable of mimicking a joker vocal does tim roth look like a joker to you? having the vocals not the looks is pointless,imo crispin is well qualified for the role

 

[SatanBurger]

Just caught the tail-end of Willard on TV, and I can honestly say, if Crispin is cast as the Joker the character will fall flat. Honesly, can he even play a character that's not pathetic and nerdy? Is he even capable? His voice, his mannerisms, do not fit the stylings of an over the top, charismatic narcisist. I don't think any amount of manipulation will change that fact.

Nolan needs an actor, not a face.

 

[VenomFang]

"The Joker is a frightening character. I certainly think so anyway. And so does Christian Bale - in an interview with MTV he stated he wanted The Joker to be darker and more frightening than any interpretation of him we've ever seen."

And that's wrong. Batman is frightening, we've seen characters being scary. Joker is the opposite, he is charming and witty, so much so that he is disarming you with his gags and jokes as to then more easily kill you. Where as Batman is super serious, Joker simply laughs at Batman's face, making Joker almost seem far more 'with it' than our caped crusader, for reckognizing the rediculousness of Batman, and life itself.

Crispin Glover would absolute shine in this role, his face alone makes him stand out from lifes normal set of faces. He looks like the Joker, quite frankly. There is no other way to describe him.

 

[FCEEVIPER]

I don't know if this has been posted by the dude himself or by some one else but, this guys quest for Sean Penn as Joker is crazy. Make sure to check out the Videos on his site.

http://seanthejoker.com/

 

[The Kid]

oh gosh.... now that's just silly.

 

[The Kid]

OBI WAN FULKING KENOBI


CASE CLOSED

 

[Katsuro]

i'm really sick of people saying that Crispin Glover should be The Joker. Sure he looks like the character, but there is so much more to playing a role than that. An actor should be able to... um... what's that word? oh yeah, ACT! like the character he's portraying, not just have a long face.

If i were to cast the Joker, i would go with either Tim Roth, Paul Bettany, Vincent Cassel, or.. HAMMIL DAMNIT!!!

 

[Triad]

Ever see the movie "The River's Edge"? Glover CAN act...and quite frankly, is just plain creepy, if you ask me.

 

[TheScarecrow]

Vincent Gallo was born for the role!

 

[BizarroMe1001]

"The Joker is a frightening character. I certainly think so anyway. And so does Christian Bale - in an interview with MTV he stated he wanted The Joker to be darker and more frightening than any interpretation of him we've ever seen."

And that's wrong. Batman is frightening, we've seen characters being scary. Joker is the opposite, he is charming and witty, so much so that he is disarming you with his gags and jokes as to then more easily kill you. Where as Batman is super serious, Joker simply laughs at Batman's face, making Joker almost seem far more 'with it' than our caped crusader, for reckognizing the rediculousness of Batman, and life itself.

Crispin Glover would absolute shine in this role, his face alone makes him stand out from lifes normal set of faces. He looks like the Joker, quite frankly. There is no other way to describe him.

I understand how you keep wanting to get your point across VenomFang, but its getting increasingly annoying how you have to continue to repost that same comparrisson pictures with everything you say.

 

[VenomFang]

I understand how you keep wanting to get your point across VenomFang, but its getting increasingly annoying how you have to continue to repost that same comparrisson pictures with everything you say.

And every time I do, you chime in with something unconstructive. Thanks.

 

[TheBatSignal]

Whoever plays the Joker,all I want is for them to do what Ceaser Romero did in the Batman Movie.

Throw a vase at Batman's head.I laugh so hard everytime I watch that.