The Joker Thread - Part 1

[Captain Tired]

I thought he looked perfect as is, in Joker.

 

[AndyTrevino]

I thought he looked perfect as is, in Joker.

I loved that design too, maaaybe just as much as you did, but because it gets the point across with that specific interpretation. I think the permawhite approach makes him seem freakier, and I feel like 'Joker' should remain its own thing, counting the makeup design.

 

[Eddie Dean]

a thought...

 

[AndyTrevino]

a thought...

A question: Who?

 

[Eddie Dean]

Jake Johnson - IMDb

 

[shauner111]

I thought he looked perfect as is, in Joker.

He did. I wouldn’t change it at all for that movie. But honestly, I would love to see Joaquin play the Joker with short hair, no laughing condition, more purple in the suit and in 21st century Gotham City.

Heath would have crushed it in a 80’s Joker character study too. But what a missed opportunity if we never saw him in a modern Batman movie.

 

[Sawyer]

I’m not sure I want that level of scarring, but I like the idea that the acid doesn’t just change his skin and hair color. Give the skin a little texture.

 

[Micromind]

Bill Skarsgard is very tall, he will be 3 inches taller than Pattinson.

Edit: But his face suits Joker more than most actors suggested in this thread.

 

[shauner111]

**** that idea.

 

[Razor Crest]

This but permawhite with shorter hair and maybe without the extended smile:

View attachment 37878

Phoenix looked great in his first Joker rendition, but DAMN this gorgeous. I can fan cast all day for potential Jokers, but seeing Joaquin face off with Pattinson is the dream.

 

[AndyTrevino]

He did. I wouldn’t change it at all for that movie. But honestly, I would love to see Joaquin play the Joker with short hair, no laughing condition, more purple in the suit and in 21st century Gotham City.

Heath would have crushed it in a 80’s Joker character study too. But what a missed opportunity if we never saw him in a modern Batman movie.

Fine How about this then:

 

[Boom]

This with red lips:

 

[Eddie Dean]

 

[C Prometheus]

Obviously we're aways from getting any sort of real idea of what Reeves might envision for his take on Joker, but after re-reading both TDKR and Year One again and sensing just how much of Frank Miller's grit and bleakness seems to inform Reeves' take on both Batman and the rest of Gotham City, I'm starting to really think that might also be where Reeves might draw primary influence on Joker.

And by that, I don't necessarily mean the more obvious "Flashy, David Bowie-inspired" visuals from TDKR, but rather... the language. The gestures. At first glance, Miller's Joker seems pretty similar to most other iterations of the Clown Prince of Crime, but after revisiting TDKR again, it really struck me just how 'still' and eerie his Joker is compared to most any other modern take I can think of. He's far quieter than usual and only ever really gives that signature laugh a few times in the book.

For the record, I'm not ruling out a "Man Who Laughs"/Boogeyman approach for Joker either. It just really struck me just how well this particular version of Joker would probably fit in with the Gotham we briefly saw in the trailer. Or at least, a younger version of that Joker anyway.

 

[shauner111]

For a second there, I saw Bill Hader. I would wait until 10-15 years pass. And then i’d cast a older Hader in a Dark Knight Returns adaptation. You can still do the stillness for a silent era Joker in Reeves universe, combined with elements of the boogeyman. I would be cool if they also went full on TDKReturns for this. I just don’t want to see the Killing Joke used as inspiration over and over.

 

[C Prometheus]

For a second there, I saw Bill Hader. I would wait until 10-15 years pass. And then i’d cast a older Hader in a Dark Knight Returns adaptation. You can still do the stillness for a silent era Joker in Reeves universe, combined with elements of the boogeyman. I would be cool if they also went full on TDKReturns for this. I just don’t want to see the Killing Joke used as inspiration over and over.

Yeah, I'm not saying that Reeves' Joker is going to be older or anything like that. If anything, I mostly lean towards the idea that Reeves probably goes with a younger actor that's relatively within Rob's age range, similar to Christian Bale and Heath Ledger for TDK.

Rather, my point is more that the way Miller wrote Joker in TDKR (and also in The Last Crusade too IMO) feels particularly appropriate for the world and tone that Reeves seems to be making with his take on Batman. He may look rather traditional as far as Joker designs go, but his dialogue and behavior is much more subdued compared to the traditionally more cartoonish, zany takes of the character that we see in comics most of the time.

Plus, if the Riddler in Reeves' depiction is being depicted as a potentially politically-motivated serial killer in the vein of someone like the Zodiac Killer- where do you go with the Joker? And there's just something about how casually Miller's Joker will kill as many people as he can in a day that makes sense to follow up such a take on the Riddler.

And if Reeves is in fact planning on having Joker be a recurring character in a trilogy that's intended to be very POV-driven for Bruce, then there is definitely some merit to the idea of demonstrating the weight behind TDKR's famous "All the people I've murdered... by letting you live" line.

 

[shauner111]

Yeah, I'm not saying that Reeves' Joker is going to be older or anything like that. If anything, I mostly lean towards the idea that Reeves probably goes with a younger actor that's relatively within Rob's age range, similar to Christian Bale and Heath Ledger for TDK.

Rather, my point is more that the way Miller wrote Joker in TDKR (and also in The Last Crusade too IMO) feels particularly appropriate for the world and tone that Reeves seems to be making with his take on Batman. He may look rather traditional as far as Joker designs go, but his dialogue and behavior is much more subdued compared to the traditionally more cartoonish, zany takes of the character that we see in comics most of the time.

Plus, if the Riddler in Reeves' depiction is being depicted as a potentially politically-motivated serial killer in the vein of someone like the Zodiac Killer- where do you go with the Joker? And there's just something about how casually Miller's Joker will kill as many people as he can in a day that makes sense to follow up such a take on the Riddler.

And if Reeves is in fact planning on having Joker be a recurring character in a trilogy that's intended to be very POV-driven for Bruce, then there is definitely some merit to the idea of demonstrating the weight behind TDKR's famous "All the people I've murdered... by letting you live" line.

I like it. But I think he may even behave like TDKR Joker and dress like him too. You never know. The entire package of that Joker would be fresh right now. Flamboyant but quieter.

 

[AndyTrevino]

I love how robotic Miller's Joker feels. That sociopathic coldness makes him just as frightening as any other interpretation.

 

[AndyTrevino]

If they want Joaquin back as a separate/different Joker but still want to retain the design elements of the 2019 movie, then this seems very promising:

 

[AndyTrevino]

For a second there, I saw Bill Hader. I would wait until 10-15 years pass. And then i’d cast a older Hader in a Dark Knight Returns adaptation. You can still do the stillness for a silent era Joker in Reeves universe, combined with elements of the boogeyman. I would be cool if they also went full on TDKReturns for this. I just don’t want to see the Killing Joke used as inspiration over and over.

I never really realized how much he looks like Bill Hader until you pointed it out. Before, I saw either Bowie or Paul Bettany.

 

[shauner111]

If they want Joaquin back as a separate/different Joker but still want to retain the design elements of the 2019 movie, then this seems very promising:

View attachment 37892

I agree. But Joaquin cutting his hair and going for a more Miller approach wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

 

[AndyTrevino]

I agree. But Joaquin cutting his hair and going for a more Miller approach wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

It wouldn't; I just feel like something like the fanart I posted would fit his features more (which is ironic considering the red nose, but still).

 

[C Prometheus]

I like it. But I think he may even behave like TDKR Joker and dress like him too. You never know. The entire package of that Joker would be fresh right now. Flamboyant but quieter.

Oh definitely! I'd be all for Reeves recreating the classic TDKR Joker design onscreen.

I love how robotic Miller's Joker feels. That sociopathic coldness makes him just as frightening as any other interpretation.

Yeah, Miller's Joker is just flat-out eerie. We've had plenty of frightening takes on the Joker, but not many of them ever really have had that same eeriness that Miller's Joker has.

Interestingly enough, if the theory that Barry Keoghan's character in the film is secretly Joker winds up being accurate, I can very easily imagine him playing more of a TDKR-like Joker.

 

[Captain Tired]

While being fairly different from the typical look found in the source material, I personally thought Phoenix's fully formed look in 'Joker' seemed to convey the spirit of the Joker better than any other live-action iteration thus far, save for maybe Nicholson. Maybe it's the gangly frame. Maybe that overrode all the stylistic curveballs, i.e., the blue diamonds, the red nose, the wine coloured suit and long hair.

 

[AndyTrevino]

While being fairly different from the typical look found in the source material, I personally thought Phoenix's fully formed look in 'Joker' seemed to convey the spirit of the Joker better than any other live-action iteration thus far, save for maybe Nicholson. Maybe it's the gangly frame. Maybe that overrode all the stylistic curveballs, i.e., the blue diamonds, the red nose, the wine coloured suit and long hair.

That's just the thing. The stylistic curveballs like the circus clown makeup only really work with the red suit. I can't see it working with purple.

I just feel like it's so synonymous with the grounded, legitimately disturbed mass shooter-esque Arthur Fleck interpretation that I'd just like for him to look a bit different if they want to connect those two universes or want to retain those same design elements.