Should DC Retire the Joker

For years, the one constant through the ever-changing actors and directors within the Batman movies was that most DC films were terrible. They fell either into the ridiculously campy and gave us such gems as the iconic bat-nipples and credit card or they were so dark and edgy that they became just as over the top and silly. But now it wasn’t and became the climax to one of the most long-awaited showdowns in cinema history with Batman and Superman having mothers with the same first name. Good DC movies were few and far between with the most iconic characters being reduced to cheesy caricatures of themselves to make them appeal to the common audience often leaving longtime fans dissatisfied. Amidst all these failures there was the gem that was The Dark Knight that contained the best portrayal of the Joker that live action movies have ever seen.

Before The Dark Knight the Joker was always the same, big smile and jokes but lacked a real threat that he carried within the comics. Heath Ledger's portrayal redefined the character making it his own while keeping the spirit of the character true throughout his portrayal. If he was still alive there is no doubt, he would have continued to be the Joker in every Batman movie as no other actor has been able to take the character and create so much depth and emotion as he did. Ever since this, the Joker has become an untouchable character until the recent Suicide Squad movie that once again attempted to reinvent the Joker and failed miserably. So, this brings up the question, after numerous failed attempts to give a new spin to the character despite much potential after what the late Heath Ledger did, should DC retire the Joker?

Jared Leto was an awful Joker simply because his reinvention of the Joker was a joke. It was taken too seriously and failed to really embody the chaotic power of a character that is supposed to act as a mirror to Batman dark brooding nature. The Joker could have been done well if it was reinvented correctly and the best way to see what the Joker could have been is to look at Harley Quinn. Margot Robbie was crazy and powerful but kept this energy throughout her performance of being more in control of whatever situation she is in then anyone could ever imagine despite appearances; Harley Quinn was everything the Joker could have been and failed to be. Heath Ledger’s Joker can’t be done again but that doesn’t mean the Joker should be retired as a character. He is someone that has the potential to be pretty much anything, all he needs is the right director and actor. Many people say that it can’t be done though despite it already happening in the DC animated movies. While their live action is lacking, DC’s animated movies such as Assault on Arkham was everything that you want in a superhero movie. It was engaging, exciting, and more than anything it got the Joker right. He was intelligent and manipulative rather than having a big grand scheme he rolled with the punches and adapted to whatever situation he was thrown into. This animated movie knew how to do the Joker right, how to make him different enough from previous incarnations to make him unique yet recognizable. So, it’s simple really, the Joker as a character should never be retired but instead correctly re-imagined to fit the role. If he steals the show, then he is the Joker.