Christoph Waltz
Despite what you may think from seeing some of his more iconic roles, Christoph Waltz is said to be the nicest, most gracious man in the world. Still, he has quite a terrifying on-screen presence (when the role calls for it), and keeping in mind that Ben Affleck’s Batman is quite a bit older than Christian Bale’s version, it would make sense for him to face an older Joker.
Now, do me a solid and dream with me for a minute. Imagine the intro scene with Christoph Waltz as the Joker. You know he would be well dressed, well spoken, and extremely unhinged. It would be more like a Hannibal Lecter than a Joker, but that could definitely work, and it would take the already twisted character to some new places. Hell, you could even put white makeup over the mustache as a nod to the original Cesar Romero Joker from the TV show. Wait, actually, don’t do that. Scratch that last part.
But if you really think about it, The Joker is all about delivering monologues that you cannot help but be pulled into and intrigued by. Now, imagine those monologues given by this amazing actor. Say what you want about his accent or background, we know that can be easily hidden. Also, who is to say that a Joker with a foreign accent wouldn’t add a whole new level to his mystery and madness?
Christoph Waltz may not be people’s first choice when they think of a new Joker, but once you spend a moment with the thought, you realize just how fitting it is. Ledger brought anarchy to the role, which is why it worked. Waltz could bring some class and dignity (in between all the insanity). How could someone not want to see that?