MrDonut Presents: 'The Joker' - The Mind of A Mad Man

MrDonut Presents: 'The Joker' - The Mind of A Mad Man

My thoughts on how I'd like the Joker to be portrayed the next time he's brought to the big screen

By MrDonut - Mar 05, 2014 12:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Fan Fic
A few months ago, Sony announced that a Venom movie and Sinister Six movie were in the works- since that announcement there has been speculation as to how these characters will be brought to the big screen, but also the question as to whether or not a villain-centric movie could work. Well, given that in comics there are countless villain focused comics and miniseries around to better flesh out the bad guys, and given that more often than a villain has to share to screen time with the hero in the hero’s respective film, I think it’s fair to say certain villains are definitely deserving of their own movies to better flesh them out and to give us fans a fix to sate our urges.

Now, moving on, since Sony’s announcement I personally started thinking of what villains could work/deserve their own movie, and whilst a few names came to mind, the first name that popped up was; the Joker. I can honestly say there is quite possibly no other fictional villain better deserving of a film than the Clown Prince of Crime, so here I’ve basically outlined a wish list (of sorts) of how I’d like the Joker to return to the big screen (now that we’ve got our new Batman) for the next live action incarnation of the character.

___________________________


What Should Be the Influence?


So, what comic arcs would I like to influence the next live screen incarnation of Clown Prince of Crime? Well, admittedly it’s a relatively extensive list, but when it gets down to it, it ultimately comes down to 6 comic arcs in particular; Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, Ed Brubaker’s The Man Who Laughs, Michael Green’s Lovers and Madmen, Brian Azzarello’s Joker, and Scott Snyder’s Death of the Family and Zero Year. A fairly extensive list admittedly, but quite frankly I think a marriage of the depiction of the Joker (and the Red Hood) would make for a perfect and new incarnation of the iconic villain; I personally imagine such a combination would not only be iconic but result in a Joker who is as unpredictable and dangerous physically as he is mentally- a rare change from the usually depiction of the Joker we’ve often seen.


Moving past which comics I’d like to influence the next on screen portrayal of the Joker, let’s talk about which previous actor’s depictions I’d like to somewhat carry on; Mark Hamill (more so his characterisation as opposed to the weird semi-British accent), Heath Ledger and John Dimaggio. Now before I go any further, I get some of you might be crying ‘sacrilege’ given that I haven’t included Jack Nicholson’s incarnation, but personally speaking, whilst I liked it, his take on the Clown Prince of Crime always felt more like a slightly more eccentric ‘Jack Nicholson performance’ rather than a ‘Joker performance’, if that makes sense… Nonetheless, personally I’d like to see the humour and charisma of Hamill’s take combined with the darkness and dread of Ledger’s alongside the sadistic ‘creepy uncle’ vibe of Dimaggio’s- quite frankly, this with a voice influenced more so by Ledger and Dimaggio’s incarnations, would definitely help build a brilliantly scary new take on the Joker.

How Should It Be Done?


Now, how would I like it done? Well, part of the Joker’s appeal is the mystery surrounding him, so personally, I wouldn’t want too much of a spotlight shed on his pre-transformation life or for him to have a real kind of identity, but do like how he was originally presented in The Killing Joke and the idea of him going by the name Joe (Scott Snyder’s Death of the Family people). So… I imagine Joe had a troubled childhood; an abusive fiend of a father and subjugated mother, leading to him killing his father in defence of his mother and her in turn, taking the blame resulting in him moving to Metropolis (just a little nod to an interconnected DC universe) to live with an aunt, but remaining forever damaged by the event; immersing himself with questionable activities and becoming involved in crime throughout his teenage years. This leads to a stint in prison/mental intuition (Belle Reve perhaps?), where after years of pills and therapy Joe leaves having fallen for a nurse, only to return to Gotham upon his mother’s death to settle her estate.


Upon his return to Gotham, I imagine Joe has a life similar to his depiction in The Killing Joke; he’s an unfunny dead end comedian who works at bar run by a small time mob boss looking to make more of a name for himself. Prior to the Joe’s return however, the mob boss has been plagued by a masked robber (no witnesses so all he knows is ‘it’s some guy in a mask’; actually 2 of his underlings. As Joe continues to work at the club, the robberies continue, with suspicion falling on him- the underlings take this as opportunity to frame Joe with all the heat closing in, using a red hood mask prop/collectible in his apartment as ‘evidence’ (I imagine the Red Hood identity coming about as a gift from the Joe’s wife- the character originating from a cheesy old horror movie Joe and his wife shared a fondness for).


With Joe set up, he’s made an example of to elevate his boss’s status in Gotham’s crime hierarchy. His (pregnant) wife is killed in front of him, he’s beaten to a pulp and tortured with a ‘Cheshire grin’ and left for dead/killed in a rundown rotting, labyrinth-like old chemical plant (A.C.E. Chemicals); notorious as the number 1 spot where people go missing in Gotham yet left untouched by the police out of fear.


After a few months pass, enter the Red Hood. Having survived, Joe takes his revenge against all those he deems guilty, off his pills now and far removed from the calming influence of his wife he’s blaming every crook and corrupt cop in Gotham, forming his ‘Red Hood Gang’ forcing people to fight in his name via red hoods with bomb collars attached to them- obviously, this soon gets the attention of the Batman, now in his 2nd year. After eventually tracking the Red Hood to his base (A.C.E.) Batman and the Hood go at it leading to the destruction of A.C.E. and the Hood’s toxic bath and eventual rebirth a year later as Batman’s true nemesis.

Who Should Play the Part?


Now then, I’ve covered how I’d like the character’s future depictions should be influenced and how I’d like his history to be presented, but who should play him? Well, as you guys may have guessed by the above image, I personally am very fond of Sharlto Copley in the role.

Why? Well, not only does he share quite the resemblance with the traditional version of the character but given that we’re getting an older and established Batman, I think it’s a safe bet we’ll have a Joker who’s a little older too, but ignoring that he’s a really underrated and very capable actor who I feel has yet to truly shine in a role, but undoubtedly has the most potential to revolutionise the role like Ledger did before him. From his work in The A-Team, Elysium and Old Boy in particular I think Copley would absolutely own the role, bringing the right balance of badassery, creepiness, intellect, madness, humour and intimidation. I genuinely believe if Copley is cast, then he’d own as he is literally one of the very few actors who could bring the right kind of balance between the Jack Nicholson/Mark Hamill’s evil prankster, Heath Ledger’s agent of chaos and John Dimaggio’s creepy psycho uncle, and really just own the role and in particular act as the perfect choice to give us a Joker who is as capable and dangerous physically as he is mentally and emotionally.

___________________________


So, whilst I acknowledge that most of this ‘wishlist’ will never come to fruition, this is just something I had to get off my chest. End of the day, I’m a huge fan of Batman, and his villains, and as mentioned before, with Sony’s announcement of villain-centric films recently, I can’t help but want a Joker film. Quite frankly, whilst I’m guessing we’ll never quite get a Joker like this, I do hope the next incarnation of the Clown Prince of Crimes shapes up to be at least half as interesting as what I have in mind, but in the meantime, it is just a matter of waiting and seeing, so hopefully we will get something down the line that shuts us up and keeps us entertained.

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Pasto
Pasto - 3/6/2014, 5:21 PM
This bastard shouldn't earn his time on screen. I've lost a lot of good soldiers to his madness. It'd be my pleasure to put this monster down for what he is, a rabid dog.
MrDonut
MrDonut - 3/6/2014, 5:26 PM
BatmanOfCBM
Pasto, dear boy, is that you? :P
Pasto
Pasto - 3/6/2014, 5:31 PM
MrDonut
Are you stupid? Are you dense? I'm the god damn Batman!
MrDonut
MrDonut - 3/6/2014, 5:41 PM
BatmanOfCBM
Well... I am called 'Mr Donut' for a reason... :D
BATMANx
BATMANx - 3/7/2014, 3:43 AM
~HE STANDS IN THE SHADOWS~ Im Batman
MikeZ
MikeZ - 3/7/2014, 9:00 AM
Me, I would love to see the Joker be as close to the version voiced by Mark Hamill and Troy Baker (who really did amazing as a Hamill stand-in in Arkham Origins). You know, be a little silly, but retaining the darkness and compelling nature. Sharlto Copley is a great pick, especially after The A-Team, but I'm a staunch supporter of Alan Tudyk, what with his work in Wreck-It Ralph and Dollhouse.
MrBlueSky
MrBlueSky - 3/7/2014, 1:13 PM
Awesome article, dude! I agree that a combination of Hamill's, DiMaggio's, and Ledger's interpretation of the Joker would make an ideal Joker.

Although Copley isn't my pick for the Joker (prefer Michael Sheen), I can definitely see him as the Joker, especially after seeing Elysium (I haven't seen the Oldboy remake because I like the original Korean film).

Anyway, I hope to see more from you.
WakandaKing
WakandaKing - 3/7/2014, 1:22 PM
I think it should be more of a artistic movie, lacking seriousness in every way shape and form, yet with underlying messages that are so dark it is hard to deny. Also a third person perspective from the mind of joker would be cool too, but good job my good man
kong
kong - 3/7/2014, 2:46 PM
I love this! I think you got true portrayal down and I think Lovers and Madmen is the most underrated Joker story and is in my top 3 favorite portrayals of him in comics. It's my top 5 of all media portrayals of him.
MightyZeus
MightyZeus - 3/7/2014, 5:35 PM
I actually dont mind your take on the Joker. Great article. Your ideas are great and where you draw inspiration from sources is good. I also enjoy your choice of actor to play the character, he would be a good choice to play the next incarnation of the Joker.
MrDonut
MrDonut - 3/7/2014, 5:52 PM
Apologies for the late reply people, didn't quite get a chance to comment earlier!

BATMAN1X
Cool... I guess? Lol...

RoadDogXXIV
I get where you're coming from; definitely loved the charisma and humour Hamill and Baker (to an extent) brought to the role, but as mentioned up top, the faux-British accent never sat well with me lol... Moving on, glad you like Copley, and do think Tudyk is underrated, but even then, I don't think he's quite right for the Joker- can see him as an epic Zoom/Reverse Flash though!

MrBlackJack
Thanks Jack! :D

MrBlueSky
Thanks dude! Glad you like where I was coming from!

Still, Sheen is a very solid pick, and was actually my original choice for the role prior to Copley thanks to his work in Unthinkable and Tron: Legacy, but personally I find Copley more charismatic and menacing and just generally, well fitting for the role so went with him, but do think Sheen would own as an older Scarecrow though!

But I will say this, whilst I mentioned Old Boy as part of my reasoning in casting Copley, the remake is kinda shit compared to the original and it is actually one of Copley's weaker performances, so I'm not too big an advocate of it, but even at such a disadvantage, Copley was weird and creepy and perfectly intriguing, and that is ultimately something I think he'd bring beautifully well to the role.

I haven't actually got anything in the works atm, and am due to go on a family holiday sometime soon, so don't plan on dropping anything yet, but obviously, when I do hope you check it out! ;)

WakandaKing
Thanks bud, some solid ideas though. I personally think if ever a Joker film was done it should be like cross between A Clockwork Orange, Bronson and Dexter with a little bit of Goodfellas thrown in- think that would be the only way to perfectly capture the right kind of tone for the character and his perception of the world.

Hell, I kind of like it being presented in a flashback kinda format like The Killing Joke, maybe over a confrontation between Batman and the Joker in a padded cell in Arkham, with him going through the 'multiple choice origin' route... I dunno lol... All I know is, the more I think about it, the more I want the Joker to get his own film.

RedHood13
Thank you, kind Hood :)
Glad you approve bud, and defo! It's such an underrated story, hope it does at least partially influence whatever incarnation of the character we get next.

MightyZeus
Thank you man, the praise means a lot- glad you like where I was going.
Klone
Klone - 3/15/2014, 3:22 AM
Very nice article.
BatmanHeisenberg
BatmanHeisenberg - 3/15/2014, 9:16 PM
Well done. Would you want Affleck Batman to do this? And my choice for the Joker is William Fitchner. Great actor, great smile, and looks exactly like Joker to me.
MrDonut
MrDonut - 3/16/2014, 8:58 AM
MartianAbominationKlone
Thanks dude :)

BatManHeisneberg
Thanks man. Ideally, my take on the Joker is who I'd like to pop in the DC cinematic universe, so given that Affleck is part of that, I'd be more than willing to see him go head to head with Copley, but Fitchner is a brilliant choice, though I never considered him as he was part of the Nolan trilogy and also, I personally wanted someone round about the same age as Affleck.
batz11
batz11 - 3/22/2014, 7:43 PM
Excellent read! Agree, Copley would be awesome!

I still think Tom would have been great, I know, it's not very creative or an inspired choice, but if he wasn't Loki, could kill the role...



Weird, searching for the above image, found this one too, Green Goblin as Joker, ha, ha...[frick]ing creepy, and probably another great choice...

batz11
batz11 - 3/22/2014, 7:45 PM
Remember seeing this one a while back on cbm...Home Alone Joker ;)

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fan_fic/news/?a=85071
DEVLIN712
DEVLIN712 - 3/23/2014, 4:27 AM
Great write up, I think if Heath Ledger hadn't died we could've seen him in a standalone film/origin
MrDonut
MrDonut - 3/23/2014, 5:26 PM
batz11
Thanks dude, glad you like my ideas and glad you agree!
I'll admit I do love the idea of both Hiddleston and Dafoe in the role, but like you yourself said they've already played two very similar Marvel characters, so it'd be a little uninspired lol... Shame really, either one would defo own...

I haven't seen Culkin in anything outside his earlier films but with the way he looks, well... Lol... Let's just say I won't be rude lol...

Batmaniac
Thanks man; I actually agree with where you're coming from- the Joker is like Wolverine; the mystery is definitely part of their appeal, so rather than a total exploration I would like at least little glimpses into his past if nothing else, but if ever an origin for the character is explored, I at least hope it's similar to what I have in mind.

DEVLIN712
Thanks man!
You know, with the praise he got for it, I wouldn't be surprised if he did headline the first real supervillain film; I could've certainly seen him doing a great take on The Killing Joke... Shame...
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