When Christopher Nolan was casting for The Dark Knight in 2007, he envisioned Joaquin Phoenix as a potential choice for the Joker. Phoenix, however, turned down the role, feeling he wasn't ready to embody the character's dark and chaotic nature. This revelation came from Phoenix himself, who shared the story on Rick Rubin's podcast, highlighting a fascinating alternate path in the Dark Knight saga that could have changed film history.
Ultimately, Heath Ledger took on the role and delivered a legendary performance that earned him a posthumous Oscar. Ledger's portrayal of Joker has since been cemented as one of the most unforgettable and influential characterizations in cinematic history, overshadowing any notion of what could have been had Phoenix taken on the part. Ironically, Phoenix would later go on to play the Joker in Todd Phillips' 2019 film, Joker, a standalone origin story that won him an Oscar as well, making him and Ledger the only two actors to win Academy Awards for playing the Joker.
Adding to the intrigue, it was recently reported by The Hollywood Reporter that the 2019 Joker film's ending was initially supposed to include Phoenix's character carving a smile into his face, mirroring Ledger's Joker scars. Yet Nolan himself stepped in, advising Warner Bros. against this, as it was too directly linked to The Dark Knight version of the character.
This revelation offers a captivating “what if” for fans of the Batman franchise, showing how a single casting decision can shape the future of a character, leaving a lasting impact on both actors and audiences.
The idea of Joaquin Phoenix as Nolan's Joker is compelling, especially given the psychological depth he later brought to the role in Joker (2019). Phoenix's decision to decline the part adds an interesting dimension to the Batman franchise's history. Ledger's raw, chaotic energy was pivotal in The Dark Knight, making him arguably irreplaceable. Still, knowing Phoenix could have brought his own intense, introspective style to Nolan's Joker makes this “almost” moment in Hollywood casting history a tantalizing thought experiment.
Ledger's performance remains iconic, but Phoenix's ultimate portrayal in Joker gave fans an equally memorable, if darker, rendition. In this sense, both actors' performances contribute uniquely to the Joker mythos, illustrating how actors can bring different, yet equally compelling, dimensions to the same character.
Do you think Phoenix could have brought a new dimension to Nolan's Joker, or was Ledger's portrayal simply irreplaceable?
