Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knightis the right answer to Joker’sDCorigins, which you probably know already. With the release ofJoker: Folie à Deux, the conversation surrounding his notoriously contentious characterization has reignited.The ending ofJoker: Folie à Deux, meanwhile, reminded everyone of the Joker whose crown has yet to be stolen - namely, Heath Ledger’s rendition inThe Dark Knight.
The Dark Knightwas the second inChristopher Nolan’s celebrated Dark Knight trilogyand swiftly became one of the best Batman movies ever made. Whileevery character featured inThe Dark Knighthad a large part to play in its success, Heath Ledger’s terrifyingly frenetic Joker was a standout positive that reshaped the character in a way that was universally applauded. Ledger set a new standard that puts the pressure on successive portrayals to match, with one key trait that puts him leagues ahead.
Why The Joker’s Origin Is So Hotly Debated
The Joker’s Origins Are Not Exactly Definitive
Debates around a comic book character’s origins are par for the course, with many movie adaptations taking creative liberties in their attempts at originality to varying degrees of success. This is, at least, the case for characters whose backstories are clear-cut, like Batman. Joker, meanwhile, is distinctive insofar ashis origin story is decidedly more malleable, with several comics exploring different origin stories.
Every Actor Who’s Played The Joker In Live-Action
One of the most iconic villains of all time, the Joker pops up in various live-action films and TV shows; here’s every actor who’s played the part.
While one origin tends to prevail - specifically, the one in which Joker falls into a vat of chemicals and turns insane after emerging as first depicted in 1951’sDetective Comics #168- Joker has himself pointed out that this origin may not be true in 1988’sBatman: The Killing Joke. He goes on to state thathe prefers his origin story to be “Multiple choice.“This is largely seen to be the most popular of Joker’s origin stories and was even revisited in 2024’sBatman #142.
Jack Napier embodied the origin story fromDetective Comics #168andBatman: The Killing Joke, but these origins have not been overtly adapted since.
This only adds fuel to debates, however. WhileThe Killing Jokemight be considered the definitive origin for Joker, plenty of Joker fans are more than willing to accept Joker’s interpretation that his origins are “Multiple choice.“It does, after all, feed into the inherently chaotic nature of the character, especially as Batman’s is so standardized and recognizable.
Joker’s Attempts To Deconstruct The Joker Failed
Joker’s Origins In Joker (2019) Became Moot
2019’sJokerattempted to deliver a true, realistic origin story for the Joker - or so we though. In it, Arthur Fleck is a failed entertainer whose mental illness is exacerbated by the ruinous conditions he lives under in Gotham.A run-in with a loutish throng of city elites lights the fuse for Fleck’s descent into villainyand the adoption of the Joker moniker. His public debut of this character would spark a movement of imitators motivated by their frustrations against Gotham’s corrupt and oppressive figures.
Jokerbecame the highest-earning R-rated movie of all time beforeDeadpool & Wolverinewould supplant it in the summer of 2024.
This was a decidedly fresh take on Joker and his motivations, but also one that could hardly be left up to interpretation. Unfortunately, despiteJokerbeing such a huge cultural phenomenon,Joker: Folie à Deuxsaw Fleck renounce the Joker mantle,asserting that he was never truly the Joker to begin with. Instead, it was heavily implied that Fleck’s killer, an unnamed “Young inmate,” wasthe true version of Joker- one that suspiciously resembled Ledger’s Joker after cutting a smile into his own face. The prevailing sentiment rejects this as aDark Knight Joker origin story, however.
Nolan’s Choice To Keep The Joker Mysterious Is Still Perfect
Heath Ledger’s Joker Is The Complete Opposite Of Batman
Heath Ledger’s Joker epitomized the comic book character whose origins are hard to pin down. Throughout the movie, he offers several possible accounts of “How [he] got [his] scars,” with none in particular standing out as the most believable. Not only is this perversely the most comic-accurate portrayal of Joker’s indeterminable origins, butit acts as the perfect counterweight to his arch-rivalin the movie as he attempts to break Batman’s stringent moral code.
Joker is Batman’s antithesis in every way, from the contrast in their chosen wardrobes to their moral code or lack thereof.
Joker is Batman’s antithesis in every way, from the contrast in their chosen wardrobes to their moral code or lack thereof. While Heath Ledger showed that it is possible to revolutionize Joker, one thing that remains the same is thathe is an agent of chaos where Batman is an enforcer of order. This is enshrined inThe Dark Knight’s Joker’s chaotic origin story, whereas Batman’s is meticulously depicted inBatman Begins. Introducing an origin story for Joker only blurs the lines between the two characters, making the mystery surrounding Ledger’s Joker as definitive an origin as he needs.
The Dark Knight
Cast
The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is the second installment in the Batman trilogy starring Christian Bale as Batman. Released in 2008, the film follows Batman’s alliance with Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent as they combat the organized crime that threatens Gotham, facing the menacing Joker.
