There are many reasons why Batman: The Animated Series is so beloved by fans of the Dark Knight and one of the biggest is Mark Hamill’s immortal portrayal of the Joker. Most known as good guy Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, Hamill completely transformed himself for the vocal role and made the Clown Prince of Crime a charismatic, comedic and chilling character.
Earlier this week, the actor took to Twitter to reflect on his involvement in B:TAS. “It was truly an honor to be entrusted to play the character in the original Batman: TAS back in ’92,” he wrote in response to a fan. “I had no idea at the time the impact it would have on my career or how it would be received by Bat-fans worldwide — but it’s the gift that keeps on giving!”
Hamill’s right about the part of the Joker being a gift that keeps on giving. Though the original run of B:TAS only went until 1995, the actor’s connection to the supervillain didn’t stop there and he went on to voice the part in follow-up DC Animated Universe shows like The New Batman Adventures as well as animated movies such as Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. He’s still going today, too, as you can check out his performance in Rocksteady’s Arkham video games.
In terms of how his iconic take on the Joker was conceived, Hamill’s previously discussed how he initially believed he wouldn’t land the job, how he devised his distinctive Joker laugh and even the inspirations for his transatlantic voice for the character.
If all this is making you want to relive Hamill’s Joker in the highest definition, you’re in luck, as Batman: The Animated Series is set to make its HD debut on the upcoming DC Universe streaming service. This will soon be followed by the first Blu-Ray release of the entire series as well, which is also coming later this year. Suffice it to say, it’s a good time to be a fan of the actor’s take on the iconic villain.