The Joker Thread - Part 1

[Eddie Dean]

Again, why pretty much any great actor would work as The Joker!

 

[Fincher]

Denzel Washington is maybe my favorite (male) actor. Now I'm not going to declare that if he were cast as The Joker, he'd be unable to step outside of himself for the role. I'm not even going to state for an absolute fact that a good Joker couldn't be built around his acting approach. I'd be skeptical, though, and I don't think there's anything wrong with thinking an actor just isn't the right choice for a particular role.

On the other side of things, it's fair to consider that we know what Margot Robbie can do as Harley Quinn because she was given that opportunity, while we can only speculate on Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, etc., based on their other performances. Did anyone prior to seeing Margot in the role think she was ideally suited to playing a fourth-wall-breaking zany comedy action antihero in clown makeup? With Ryan Reynolds, he had that personality in general.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Any talented actor can not play any character. What a weird statement to make. Can any great actor played Deadpool or Joker? No they can’t.

Yes they can. You're not offering any reason whatsoever for why they can't. And to say "not a single actress on this planet" can do what Robbie does is absurd.

 

[AndyTrevino]

Jesus. That picture of Tom Hardy looks terrifying.

 

[Eddie Dean]

I think Bronson is still his best performance

 

[shauner111]

Did anyone prior to seeing Margot in the role think she was ideally suited to playing a fourth-wall-breaking zany comedy action antihero in clown makeup? With Ryan Reynolds, he had that personality in general.

I knew as soon as I saw her for the first time in Wolf of Wall Street in 2013, that she’d be a great Harley based on her Brooklyn accent, her looks and chops. Pretty sure she was fancast after that.

 

[shauner111]

Yes they can. You're not offering any reason whatsoever for why they can't. And to say "not a single actress on this planet" can do what Robbie does is absurd.

Margot is one of the top actresses in the world right now. Not many can do what she did in the Sharon Tate role nevermind Harley. She nails the Harley accent, the adorable, funny, annoying, vicious sides the character requires. Lawrence, Malone etc aren’t half as talented as her.

 

[AndyTrevino]

I'm not going to say anyone could play a given character, but I'm also not prepared to say that Margot was uniquely qualified to play the character. Granted, I haven't seen Birds of Prey, but from everything I've seen of her she's playing a version of the character that's different from the other versions I know. She made the character her own and did a good job of it, and recasting would be done with the knowledge that that's the version the general audience knows, but it isn't an exact recreation. Jack Nicholson played The Joker in a way that only Jack Nicholson would play him, and people loved it, and then years later Heather Ledger played him in a completely different way. Personally, I liked Nicholson the best and probably always will, but Ledger redefined the character and obviously has a ton of fans.

If they were going to do Harley Quinn in the Reeves' films (I'm not even talking about getting rid of Margot's Harley), I would differentiate her by portraying her in a creepy doll way rather than the action antihero that Robbie's was. Dakota Fanning, Amanda Seyfried, Jena Malone. Don't try to beat Margot at her own game.

I can see where you're coming from, but I HATE that "creepy doll" characterization in general, not just on Harley.

 

[TMP98]

I think Bronson is still his best performance

I liked his Yosemite Sam impression in The Revenant

 

[Eddie Dean]

Robbie is a very charismatic actor, but she’s not even close to as good as you’re selling her.

 

[AndyTrevino]

Robbie is a very charismatic actor, but she’s not even close to as good as you’re selling her.

She was really good in I, Tonya and Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. She's impressive, but I agree that Harley doesn't really seem as complex a role as some think, like Lex Luthor or Flash.

 

[AndyTrevino]

I'm going to assume that Reeves is going for a less is more approach from seeing the Batsuit and Batmobile. Does this mean that we might not get another flashy Joker but most likely a clean, colorful Joker? I'd really like to see that.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Jen Lawrence could give an equal performance as Harley. Count in Emma Stone, Imogen Poots, Margaret Qualley, Florence Pugh, Snorge Roman, Samara Weaving, I could go on.

 

[Invader Joker]

Anya Taylor Joy or Margaret Qualley would be quite good as Harley for this trilogy.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Riley Keough! She would be better than Robbie!

 

[Eddie Dean]

ATJ is a good choice too

 

[Invader Joker]

She was really good in I, Tonya and Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. She's impressive, but I agree that Harley doesn't really seem as complex a role as some think, like Lex Luthor or Flash.

You could definitely do something interesting and complex with Harley if you wanted to

 

[Invader Joker]

Riley Keough! She would be better than Robbie!

I'd hope to find someone that can reinvent the character a little bit in a way, make it their own since I do think Harley as a character in popular culture still needs to find her footing to create a super compelling version of her. I think Riley, ATJ and Margaret could do that.

I'd personally look at that Harleen comic and Sean Murphy's White Knight as references.

 

[Blade Hoarder]

Nicholson's take worked to his strengths
Ledger's take worked to his strengths
Phoenix's take worked to his strengths

Give this man his doctorate degree!

 

[shauner111]

Jen Lawrence could give an equal performance as Harley. Count in Emma Stone, Imogen Poots, Margaret Qualley, Florence Pugh, Snorge Roman, Samara Weaving, I could go on.

Lawrence is always the same. Completely wrong for that role.

Jane Levy was my choice for a while.

 

[shauner111]

Riley Keough! She would be better than Robbie!

Poison Ivy fits her better.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Lawrence is always the same. Completely wrong for that role.

Jane Levy was my choice for a while.

So those other suggestions, pretty good, eh?

 

[AndyTrevino]

I wouldn't count on it that much, but it would be cool if Reeves' Joker was based partly on the version in Joker: Killer Smile. Definitely not a 100% adaptation but at least some influence. Creepily calm at times like Hannibal Lecter, but has done all the classic crimes like the fish incident.

 

[shauner111]

So those other suggestions, pretty good, eh?

I don’t like any of them for Harley Quinn tbh. I’d rather see them play different characters or have Marvel use them. I don’t see Harley being played by anyone else for another several years. And we won’t see Harley in this trilogy. Reeves will probably pass the torch to somebody else after the third movie. Keep the franchise going. If some actors want to return, great, if not, recast. Do a 4,5,6 trilogy with new villains that include Harley Quinn (played by a 20 something actress. Aka somebody who may be not even be acting at the moment, or who’s now starting out).

 

[Eddie Dean]

Want to go into detail why they wouldn't work in the role?