6 Past & Present Versions Of The Joker Join Forces In Vibrant DC Villain Art

Six live-action versions of the Joker have been brought together in vibrant new DC Universe art. The Joker is one of DC Comics' most iconic supervillains, having taken on a wide variety of heroes, but enduring as Batman's greatest enemy since his debut in 1940's Batman #1. The Joker's consistency and mysterious origins have made him one of the most notable characters not only in DC Comics, but in popular culture as a whole, which has led to the Joker's adaptation into animated and live-action media many times over the years.

Some live-action depictions of the Joker have been more notable than others, with several, such as Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson's, standing the test of time and still being favored to this day. Romero and Nicholson's Jokers have now been imagined alongside Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix and Barry Keoghan's Jokers in colorful new fan art shared by AGTDesign. There are perhaps the six most iconic past and present Jokers, so it's great to see them brought together in the "Jokerverse."

What Joker Live-Action History Means For The Villain's On-Screen Future

Joker Made His Most Recent Live-Action Appearance In Joker: Folie À Deux

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The response to Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie à Deux, sequel to his 2019 smash-hit that stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck's version of the Joker, has been mostly negative. While some of this criticism may be unfounded and over-exaggerated, it does perhaps mean that no Joker 3 will be produced as part of this franchise. Even so, the poor response to Joker: Folie à Deux likely won't have an impact on the Joker's own live-action future, as it seems very likely that the supervillain will be reinvented for James Gunn's new DC Universe.

Related Joker 2 Gave Us 1 Thing For The DC Villain That I Don’t Think Any Other Movie Can Todd Phillips's Joker: Folie a Deux deconstructed the themes of the first film; was that a big mistake? The box office numbers indicate fans think so.

Many other previous iterations of the Joker have been very positively received, so while some may be happy to bid farewell to Joaquin Phoenix and Jared Leto's Jokers, the future for the character is still very exciting. Heath Ledger's Joker is considered one of the greatest depictions of a comic book character ever, while Barry Keoghan's may get more development in Matt Reeves' upcoming The Batman - Part II. The DCU's The Brave and the Bold could also debut a new version of the Joker opposite a recast Batman.

Our Take On The Joker’s DCU Future

The Joker Has A Bright Future In Live-Action

No matter how many times live-action projects get the Joker wrong, the character's permanency in DC Comics means the villain will continue to be reinvented time and again on-screen. The sun may have set on Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck, but a more exciting and likely more comic-accurate versions of the Joker will emerge in his place. James Gunn and Peter Safran have the opportunity to deliver the most faithful and haunting depiction of the Joker in the DC Universe, so the future of the Joker is very intriguing indeed.

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