Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis is such a great actor, imagine what he could do with The Joker! It would be amazing. He is so devoted to his craft, he researches intensely and delivers great performances in every role he does. Some have called his devotion insane, staying in character for the whole time the movie shoots. He could certainly bring something very special to the table that would likely rival Ledger’s performance. Unfortunately Day-Lewis is very selective about his roles and spends a lot of time researching his characters. If he was cast as The Joker the studio would have to wait for him. I very much doubt they would be willing to do this. Day-Lewis would also not likely sign a multi-picture deal, which would scupper his chances. It would be amazing to see the three-time Academy Award winner take on the role of this iconic villain, but it won’t happen.
Christoph Waltz
Waltz has become a desired actor in Hollywood since his breakout role as Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds. The actor has gone on to win two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor and plays evil so well. Despite being older than what most people would expect the Joker to be, he could certainly pull it off. Waltz has been rumoured to be playing the villain in Pirates of the Caribbean 5 for some time and most recently the villain for the latest Bond film. Clearly everyone sees him as an actor who can play villains really well. If Joker is to be in Suicide Squad I assume they will go with a younger actor, but if they hold off until a standalone Batman film then Waltz would certainly be a great choice.
Honourable Mention – Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill is known for two iconic roles over his career – one being Luke Skywalker in Star Wars and the other for voicing the Joker on numerous different occasions in animated series and video games. Hamill voices the Joker so well, but could he play the role in a live action version? Hamill is the oldest actor on the list at 63 years old, which many would claim makes him too old for the role. He has recently trained and lost weight for his role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens so why can’t he still do a physical role? This is unlikely but as Hamill has created a classic version of The Joker through just his voice he could probably do something great with a live action role.
Do you like any of these choices for the Joker? Who would you like to see play the character? Let us know…
Thomas Roach
Originally published November 25, 2014. Updated April 15, 2018.
