Much like his arch-nemesis Batman, one of the reasons why the Joker will always endure as one of popular culture’s most iconic figures is that the character is constantly being updated and reinvented, and there’s virtually no limit in the ways the Clown Prince of Crime can be interpreted.
While Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, Cameron Monaghan and Joaquin Phoenix have all donned the makeup at various points over the decades, each actor played the role in such vastly different ways that you can’t really compare any incarnation of the Joker to the last, even though everybody has their favorite.
Thanks to Todd Phillips’ billion dollar hit, not only has Leto’s divisive performance in Suicide Squad seemingly been consigned to the history books, but Phoenix followed in Ledger’s footsteps by winning an Academy Award for his troubles and providing a daunting task for the next person brave enough to don the purple suit.
However, that doesn’t seem to have dissuaded Darren Barnet. The Never Have I Ever and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star is confident enough to throw his hat into the ring already when it comes time for the Joker to receive the big screen treatment yet again, and even has his sights set on another iconic antihero for good measure.
“You know, I would love one day to play some kind of spinoff of the Joker, a young Joker, something kind of dark and mysterious. I know this isn’t a franchise per se, but if they made anything having to do with Fight Club where I could play a character similar to Tyler Durden played by Brad Pitt, that would be an absolute dream come true.”
You certainly can’t fault the 29 year-old’s ambition for wanting to tackle one of the most coveted roles out there, but the next time we see the Joker, the most probable outcome looks to be either a second outing for Joaquin Phoenix, or yet another new actor in the role as part of Matt Reeves’ planned trilogy that will kick off with The Batman.