Joaquin Phoenix Almost Played the Joker in the Best Batman Movie

Would The Dark Knight (2008) have been “so serious” without the indelible performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker? Well, according to Joaquin Phoenix, we almost found out, as there was an opportunity for him to portray the iconic DC villain instead of Ledger in Christopher Nolan’s sequel to Batman Begins. The actor, who finally did take up the villainous mantle in Todd Phillips’ Joker (2019) 11 years later, opened up and discussed meeting with Nolan while appearing on the Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin podcast. Phoenix said of his chance to play the DC Comics character in The Dark Knight:

“Actually, I remember I talked to Chris Nolan about The Dark Knight and that didn’t… wasn’t going to happen for whatever reason. I think that I wasn’t ready then. And that’s one of those things, right, sometimes where you’re [like], ‘Why am I not doing this?’ And it’s not about me… there’s something else. There’s another person who is going to do something like…”

Phoenix, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the Batman villain in 2019’s Joker, said during the same sit-down:

“I can’t imagine what it would be if we didn’t have Heath Ledger’s performance in that film, right? And I don’t know whether Christopher Nolan was coming to me saying, ‘You’re definitely the person.’ I can’t remember the context of how we met, but I know that we met. And my feeling was I shouldn’t do this, but maybe he also was like, ‘You’re not the guy.’ I couldn’t say.”

Like Joaquin Phoenix, Heath Ledger also won an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor) for portraying the Joker, although it was a posthumous honor following the actor’s tragic death in January 2008. Both thespians also have the honor of starring in two of the only four DC films which have been able to eclipse the billion-dollar mark at the box office.

The Oscar-Winning Jokers & Their Billion-Dollar Blockbusters

Todd Phillips’ Joker made $1.063 billion worldwide (per The Numbers), while Christian Bale and Heath Ledger’s big-screen battle in The Dark Knight brought in $1.007 billion globally. The other two DC related titles to achieve the financial milestone are Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises ($1.082 billion) and the Jason Momoa-led James Wan superhero film, Aquaman ($1.131 billion).

Unfortunately for Joaquin Phoenix, though, his portrayal of the character will always be sullied irrevocably due to the controversial choices Joker: Folie à Deux made. While The Dark Knight was critically praised (94% Tomatometer), Joker 2 was universally panned by critics (32% Tomatometer) on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans of the Batman villain also crucified Folie à Deux (32% Popcornmeter and a “D” CinemaScore).

Former Batman Actor Calls Out Joker: Folie a Deux’s Controversial Ending

Joker 2’s ending has become just one of the divisive things about the movie, but it isn’t even something new according to the star of Gotham.

On the other hand, audiences were enthralled by director Christopher Nolan’s collaboration with Ledger. The Dark Knight registers 94% on the Popcornmeter, and it boasts an “A” CinemaScore. In the end, though, both actors give riveting performances in their respective movies. While Joker 2 is a mess, Phoenix is brilliant in Phillips’ original flick. However, for those who haven’t seen these memorable DC films, they should judge for themselves. Joker and Nolan’s must-see The Dark Knight are both currently available to stream on Max.