FANDOM FEATURE
ICONIC JOKER PERFORMANCES Michael Uslan believes that if someone were to build a Mount Rushmore to the character of the Joker, there would be three figures carved into it at this specific moment in time, all of whom are notable for their unique portrayals of the criminal icon.
JACK NICHOLSON, BATMAN, 1989 “To me, Jack was the true Joker, circa 1989, as he was portrayed in the comic books. In the comics at that time, there was talk of a black-and-white world of good versus evil, with the Joker as ‘The Clown Prince of Crime.’ Nicholson brought that directly onto the screen.”
HEATH LEDGER, THE DARK KNIGHT, 2008 “Heath was our Joker at a time when our world was grey, and it was order versus chaos. This was the Joker as a homicidal maniac, and Ledger brought that to life so effectively.”
MARK HAMILL , VOICE OF THE JOKER, MULTIPLE PROJECTS “Mark has been the definitive voice of the Joker. He has been able to bring every aspect of the Joker to the screen, even though he’s only been working through the magic of his voice.”
Smile! Alan Moore's 1988 Graphic Novel, Batman: The Killing Joke (DC Comics)
The Man Who
LAUGHS In spring 1940, Batman and Robin graced the cover of Batman No. 1 — jumping from the pages of Detective Comics into the long-running solo Bat title. Since that issue, Gotham City has repeatedly been the brunt of some cruel humor in scenarios conducted and manipulated by the Clown Prince of Crime: the Joker. Unlike most of the dastardly villains we’ve come to know, the Joker has yet to receive a definitive origin story, with his background, identity, and motivation a reflection of the era. Unlike the evolution of Batman himself, audiences seem to be less concerned with the conflicting stories behind the character — stories that often borrow elements from one another like a legend that’s been passed down through the ages. Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, the Joker’s lack of a true history was left open by design, but the evolution continues via countless authors and portrayals. “It’s one of the mystical reasons why super villains can work so well, and why the Joker has been the best super villain ever created, and the longest lasting,” Uslan says, pointing to Alan Moore’s 1988 graphic novel, Batman: The Killing Joke, as a prime
and gentleman, this is going to be a movie about the Batman!’ and with that, the place went apesh*t crazy. Every fan in the building knew the language ... I was speaking — that there was a difference between calling him Batman and referring to him as the Batman.”
IT WAS HALL H BEFORE HALL H. This summer, filmmaker Matt Reeves’
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example of why audiences general accept different takes on the character. In that story, the Joker distinctly states, “If I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!” “People don’t necessarily believe that the story being peddled at any given time is the real story,” Uslan says. “I love the fact that in The Killing Joke, you get all of these different origin stories, and then in the end it’s up to you to decide which one is the real story, or if the Joker is just completely delusional and none of them are the real story.” On Oct. 4, a new cinematic reimagining will occur as Joaquin Phoenix performs the role in director Todd Phillips’ Joker, executive produced by Uslan. Set in 1980, the story will borrow from one of The Killing Joke’s possible origins, presenting the character as struggling comedian Arthur Fleck. “The ambiguity behind these deeply disturbed villains is part of the magic and charm to them. That’s why I’ve never been a fan of showing super villains in grade school, or high school, or college. It’s about allowing people to believe what they want to believe, and project their own feelings into it,” Uslan explains. In making the jump from comics to screen, whether it is live action or animation, Uslan says the ambiguity works “spectacularly well” with the Joker, and that’s why audiences continue to identify with the character from book to book, movie to movie, and actor to actor. ✪
(Cloverfield, War for the Planet of the Apes) The Batman takes shape with Robert Pattinson (The Rover, the Twilight Saga) signed as the next actor to don the cape and cowl in a noir-based story said to focus in on Batman as “The World’s Greatest Detective” — a major element of the comics that’s not yet been deeply explored on screen. Showing just how much the world of film marketing has changed in the three decades since Batman
in 1989, Reeves confirmed the casting with a single tweet. DC is said to be skipping Hall H this year, but Uslan will be at SDCC for a panel celebrating 30 years of Batman ‘89. After eight decades in print, and three decades in theaters, the cycle of reinvention for the Dark Knight and his famous Rogues Gallery will no doubt continue for many decades to come. ✪