Warner Brothers dropped the first teaser trailer for director Todd Phillips’ Joker movie on Wednesday, April 3rd, and the internet went nuts as fans sparked a fiery debate over which actor might be the better Joker: The Dark Knight’s Heath Ledger or the brand-new Clown Prince of Crime, Joaquin Phoenix.
When it comes to The Joker, everyone has their favorite version. Some prefer Cesar Romero’s portrayal of the character on the 1960s Batman television series.
Others think the 1980s brought the best-ever interpretation of Mr. J by Jack Nicholson, who played the Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman film.
A fair few out there are a little more radical, preferring Jared Leto’s silver-toothed, tattooed take on the Joker in Suicide Squad.
And some people think the live-action versions of the infamous character pale in comparison to Mark Hamill’s voiceover work.
But it’s the late Heath Ledger who probably captivates audiences the most.
To this day, many fans still believe no one can even come close to his stunning turn as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.
However, now there’s a new Joker in town: Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck, the aspiring comedian who experiences a psychotic break and becomes the Joker. Unsurprisingly, social media and numerous entertainment sites have been weighing in on which actor may end up reigning the best Joker.
Shortly after watching the footage of director Todd Phillips’ Joker, one fan took to Twitter to say that Phoenix will be “the best Joker we’ve ever seen.”
Another fan wrote that Phoenix is “coming for Heath Ledger’s crown as the best Joker.”
One Twitter user was so blown away by seeing Phoenix in character that they placed an early bet on the outcome of the film:
“Calling it now, Joaquin Phoenix is going to be the best live action Joker.”
Many fans were quick to bring up Ledger’s performance for direct comparison, with one Twitter user writing:
“I have a great feeling that Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is gonna better than Heath Ledger’s”
Jemele Hill, a staff writer for The Atlantic, feels like Phoenix might end up turning in a better performance:
“I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to play the Joker better than Heath Ledger. But Joaquin Phoenix looks like he’s got a shot.”
Tia Fabi of Geek Vibes Nation wrote an opinion piece about why Phoenix will probably go down as one of the best Jokers in history, writing in part:
“This is a different rendition than what we have gotten before and it’s going to be Oscar worthy, mark my words.”
Meanwhile, one fan was evidently prepared to turn the online debate into a real-life battle:
“Heath Ledger will never be replaced as the best Joker. Fight me.”
Writer George M. Johnson wrote that people should, quote, “let the Joker rest with the best that did it.” That’s clearly a reference to Ledger, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 28. Advocate April Reign later responded to Johnson’s tweet, writing:
“This is my thought as well. Why anyone would even ATTEMPT this after Heath is beyond me.”
Clearly passionate about all things Joker, professional Fortnite player Nate Hill tweeted:
“Heath Ledger’s Joker was so good the character should be retired… I will compare every Joker to Heath and they always will fall short.”
The debate was just as hardcore over Instagram.
One individual wrote that Ledger is the best Joker, and that, quote, “anarchist Joker will always be my favorite.”
Another argued:
“Heath set the bar but Phoenix is one of the best actors out there and his Joker can be iconic as well.”
Some fans simply refused to choose a favorite Joker and instead argued that comparisons simply can’t be made, as the actors appear to be playing different iterations of the classic character.
“Joaquin is portraying the early developments of the Joker character… Heath Ledger is the developed character in the years following. It’d be silly to compare the two.”
Another fan basically asked the Internet to stop being the Internet:
“Can we stop comparing, ‘Who did this character best?’ Please? Ugh, online fandom is just taking the fun out of everything I swear.”
One Twitter user actually made a good point:
“Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix were friends. So, how about we stop with the extreme comparisons of their Joker performances… It’s disrespectful and tasteless.”
It goes without saying that these are just a few selections out of the thousands of responses fans posted after seeing the Joker teaser, and opinions are bound to change as the film nears its release date, and after we all finally get to watch the thing.
Whether you’re a fan of Phoenix, a longtime Ledger-lover, or someone who still doesn’t want to pick sides, try to keep an open mind about Joker… and try not to get into any social media fights.
Joker will tumble into theaters on October 4th, 2019.