Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker Combines Elements Of Previous Incarnations

On Wednesday morning, Warner Bros. re-introduced fans to one of the evilest clowns in history, but this one has a different look and feel to him. The Inquisitr showcased the first trailer for Joker, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as the clown, but he isn’t always in his makeup. This is more of an origin story as to how Arthur Fleck turns into one of Batman’s most sinister enemies, and even though he’s different, fans may find see something familiar in him.

Set to open on October 4, Joker is not going to be connected to anything else in the DC Extended Universe at all. There will be some connections to other characters, but Warner Bros. has already stated that there will be no sequels or anything to come after all is said and done with this one movie.

While Joker won’t continue on after this film, it’s difficult for fans not to look at versions of the clown that they have seen in the past.

Jack Nicholson in Batman (1989)

There are some people who have some problems with Nicholson’s version of The Joker, and it is more due to the influence of director Tim Burton. Still, it is difficult to deny that the Academy Award winner brought a sense of evil life to the character for a franchise that was just finding its movie footing.

Nicholson’s sarcasm and ego are what took his Joker to an immense height (figuratively and literally) that really hasn’t been replicated over the years. He added a great sense of humor, which really made for some funny moments and gave his Joker a fun feel — “Bob? Gun.”

Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight (2008)

There were many hardcore Batman fans who were against the casting of Ledger as The Joker, but some now believe he may have broken the mold. Many believe that he may have actually become so tuned into this role, as reported by Empire Online, that it actually led to his death in January of 2008.

Ledger’s version of The Joker was one of intelligence and a conniving nature that was funny, but mostly only to Joker himself. It was a brilliant portrayal of a character that doesn’t even really exist, but he brought it to true life.

Jared Leto in Suicide Squad (2016)

The most obvious difference in Leto’s version of The Joker was that of his appearance with the silver grill, the tattoos all over him, and a more modernized overall look. Leto’s portrayal of the clown was one that loved to laugh but took things to a very serious and dark place when it came time for him to do business.

This Joker has been highly criticized, but there were evil aspects of him that worked.

There have been a number of other versions of The Joker across the small and big screen throughout time. Cesar Romero starred as The Joker in the Batman TV series in the ’60s. Numerous actors have lent their voice to the clown, but one of the most notable and memorable is Mark Hamill in Batman: The Animated Series.

Each person gave their own style and appearance to The Joker, and it is can be seen that Phoenix is going to be no different. Still, if you really sit down and dissect the trailer for Joker, you may start to notice small things that feel familiar to past versions.

Joaquin Phoenix is going to be entirely different as he builds to the character as we see who the man was before being tormented and tortured by the world. The trailer makes it seem as if it is the world that leads him to be the insane clown and not necessarily just who he always was on the inside.

Phoenix lends a bit of desperation and sadness to Arthur and it will bring forth a touch of sympathy for a man who eventually becomes a psychopath. As the trailer rolls on, the demented lunacy comes forth and even brings a touch of hilarity and evil that is all built into one single, solitary character — The Joker.