The Best Joker LOOK

[Deck Rickard]

This is a thread purely about the aesthetics. Regardless of the performances, which actor had the best Joker look?

Cesar Romero

Jack Nicholson

Heath Ledger

Jared Leto

Cameron Monaghan

Joaquin Phoenix

Barry Keoghan

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

I voted Nicholson... It feels classic, true to the comics while still maintaining a slightly creepy vibe with that permanent grin.

Ledger is a VERY close second. Love everything about his look.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

I would say Nicholson also. I'd actually give the close second to Joaquin, his clown design is underrated.

 

[The Joker]

Heath is my number one. Its got the right mix of classic Joker elements combined with creepy disfigurement.

Jack's is classic great. Cesar's is camp brilliance. Phoenix's is a cool combo of classic and something different. The jury is still out on Keoghan's. Don't care for the others.

 

[B]

Just sitting here thinking about this & looking at the images, I didn't think I'd actually say this but Nicholson's is probably my favourite. I can't quite put my finger quite on why I prefer it over some of the others I just do.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

1. Cesar Romero/Jack Nicholson
2. Joaquin Phoenix
3. Heath Ledger
4. Cameron Monaghan (Pre-picture)
5. ZSJL Leto
6. Barry Keoghan (watched that deleted scene)
7. 
8. Mike Mattei in that one AVGN episode reviewing Batman games
9. Some fan films designs
10. 
11. Mr. Damaged Toys
12. Monaghan (that picture above)

 

[Herofan]

None of them are great, quite right, but I think I would put Romero or Phoenix at the top.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Yeah right now I would rank ‘em:

1. Ledger: Classic yet also innovative, scary but not overboard. Overall just a perfect look.

2. Nicholson: Probably the closest to the comic book version that I grew up with. Love it.

3. Phoenix: While the red nose took some getting used to, his look really grew on me over time. Though my personal favorite look of his in the film is probably his proto-Joker look after he kills the guys on the train.

4. Keoghan: Probably the most gruesome Joker yet. We’ve only seen a little bit of it and I need to see more to fully assess his look but I’m digging the horror aspect.

5. Romero: His look is classic and would pretty much be perfect if he would have shaved his mustache lol.

6. Leto: Honestly if you took away the stupid tattoos and the grill, I might have been okay with it. I liked the purple leather jacket, and the white makeup was good. But the other stuff just ruins it.

7. Monaghan: Not a fan of this look at all. Similar to Keoghan’s look yes, but just… crappy looking. He looks like the cracked out lovechild of Count Orlock and RiffRaff from Rocky Horror.

 

[Boom]

@Deck Rickard pretty much hit it on the head. I would probably squeeze ZSJL Joker in here too.

1. Ledger
2. Nicholson
3. Phoenix
4. Keoghan
5. ZSJL Leto
6. Romero
7. SS Leto
8. Monaghan

SS Leto is a particularly frustrating case. His aesthetic is so ****ing close to perfection, but the gaudy accessories just completely **** it up.

 

[NotNickFury]

Hard to pick since there's a lot in all of them that I like. As much as people like to dump on Leto, I think when he's in the tuxedo and has that classic Alex Ross look, it's perfect. The 'damaged' tattoo is the only eyesore, but when he's dancing with Harley in that one scene, he looks great.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

5. Romero: His look is classic and would pretty much be perfect if he would have shaved his mustache lol.

Could've been worse, like this ongoing meme

 

[Filmfreak]

I guess, again, it depends on what you usually want to see from a comic book adaptation. Ledger's is definitely the best, for me, because they didn't go for a classic look, instead they went for something new and fresh and actually managed to make it classic themselves. It's a more grounded and terrifying approach, different from everything that came before, but faithful to the character and what he stands for and perfect for the world he's in.

Surprisingly, Cameron Monaghan's atrocious look is actually what I find worst, but Leto's of course comes a close second. At least they tried something different with the latter, no matter how crap it was. Monaghan looks like a Jack Nicholson Joker design made by Asylum Studios. Can't say I like Keoghan from what I've seen so far, either. Phoenix's make-up was never a favourite of mine, despite of how great he was in the role, but it surely has a unique style and stands out. Romero's and Nicholson's are the classics.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Could've been worse, like this ongoing meme

Oddly enough, Josstice League Superman ended up with a mouth like Keoghan’s Joker.

 

[Prison Mike]

Keoghan’s Joker is very creepy and freaky, but for me, the simplicity of Ledger and Phoenix’s Joker look is the best.

 

[Drizzle]

Yeah right now I would rank ‘em:

1. Ledger: Classic yet also innovative, scary but not overboard. Overall just a perfect look.

2. Nicholson: Probably the closest to the comic book version that I grew up with. Love it.

3. Phoenix: While the red nose took some getting used to, his look really grew on me over time. Though my personal favorite look of his in the film is probably his proto-Joker look after he kills the guys on the train.

4. Keoghan: Probably the most gruesome Joker yet. We’ve only seen a little bit of it and I need to see more to fully assess his look but I’m digging the horror aspect.

5. Romero: His look is classic and would pretty much be perfect if he would have shaved his mustache lol.

6. Leto: Honestly if you took away the stupid tattoos and the grill, I might have been okay with it. I liked the purple leather jacket, and the white makeup was good. But the other stuff just ruins it.

I'd rank them the same way but I'm excluding Monaghan from my list since I stopped watching Gotham before he was even on the show.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I'd rank them the same way but I'm excluding Monaghan from my list since I stopped watching Gotham before he was even on the show.

Yeah I did too but I watched a few clips of his Croaker look at the end and it was just awful.

 

[Drizzle]

Yeah I did too but I watched a few clips of his Croaker look at the end and it was just awful.

Yeah, just looking at that pic of him...

 

[Deck Rickard]

Yeah, just looking at that pic of him...

I’ve seen Halloween masks at Spencer’s that look more realistic than that makeup lol.

 

[Gothamsknight]

Heath Ledgers look is the best for me. It's become so iconic, and i just love how original the makeup design was. it almost looked like a macabre painting with a punk rock aesthetic while still being very much Joker.

If I had to rank the looks

Heath Ledger
Jack Nicholson
Caesar Romero
Joaquin Phoenix
Barry Keoghan
Jared Leto

 

[NotNickFury]

Okay, admittedly Cameron Monaghan's final look as Gotham's Joker is nothing to write home about, but I did like his look as Jeremiah:

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

Keoghan is the horror aesthetic Joker I’ve always wanted to see. I learned about McKean’s Joker when I was really young, and that look has always been my favorite. We’re finally getting a truly terrifying Joker. The other ones have been kind of scary but this is straight out of a horror movie. I couldn’t be happier, this is exactly what I wanted.

Keoghan is number 1 for me, facially at least. I hope he looks as good in the purple suit!

 

[fan4stic]

Okay, admittedly Cameron Monaghan's final look as Gotham's Joker is nothing to write home about, but I did like his look as Jeremiah:

I prefer this look as well. To me, it's the most Joker-y and I would've preferred if this had been the final form.

 

[Babillygunn]

Romero hands down.

 

[I Am The Knight]

Phoenix for me. It's instantly recognizable as a "Joker" and without any unneeded gruesomeness. It feels faithful enough to the comics while picking little elements from previous live action adaptations to make it work.

Don't mean to "fat shame" anyone, but If Jack wasn't fat at the time he shot B89, then he would have been my favorite I just think the Joker looks best with a thinner frame.

Ledger's look was a bit of a letdown for me when he was first revealed, but the look grew on me, especially after watching TDK. It really works well with his amazing performance.

So my ranking right now:

1. Phoenix
2. Jack
3. Ledger

 

[Deck Rickard]

Come on now, Jack wasn’t fat! He was a little stocky but that’s all. But yes, as someone who grew accustomed to the rail thin Joker in the comics, I prefer Mr. J to have a more slender frame.