It's a question that has been asked as long a the character has existed in live-action: who is the best Joker? Unlike many other versions of this debate, The Joker is a character who has no definitive live-action depiction, which makes it delightfully open-ended. In fact, a new fan-made video has just surfaced online showing Heath Ledgers's Joker going up against Jared Leto's in a vicious battle, and it's a crazy good time. Check it out below!
That video comes to us courtesy of ismahawk -- who has produced several other awesome superhero/supervillain battle videos in recent years. The video begins with Ledger's psychotic Joker taunting an unseen prisoner while echoing some of his most iconic lines from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. Eventually, the more stylish Leto Joker from Suicide Squad shows up, and the two factions begin a vicious battle over the prisoner. Ledger's Joker finally comes out on top, and the prisoner is revealed to be a version of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn -- who defects from Leto's side and slices up her former lover's face as the video comes to a brutal end.
I would be remiss for not pointing out the fact that this video features two solid lead performances. Both of these Joker actors capture the essence of Heath Ledger and Jared Leto, but they also inject enough of their own nuance to each version of the character to make their portrayals distinct. If you spend sufficient time on YouTube watching these types of videos, you will eventually find plenty of god awful Joker impressions, but these don't necessarily fit that category.
In a lot of ways, DC has struggled to find its bearings in recent years. With that in mind, I think it's worth it to point out that this particular video could serve as inspiration for future DC films. The multiverse has become an increasingly accepted concept in comic book movies lately, and DC could embrace that. By taking the idea of multiple realities in the DCEU, the franchise could present us with various incarnations of the same character. This change would allow them to kill characters like The Joker with more freedom, explore some seriously high-concept sci-fi material, adapt classic DC storylines like Injustice, and even replace actors who may want to leave the DCEU.
There are plenty of advantages to embracing this, with relatively few drawbacks. DC has searched high and low for a way to set itself apart from the competition, and I think it's safe to say that a Joker vs. Joker story could change the game.
If nothing else, this is just a solid fan film that puts two very different versions of the same character in a vicious battle. Take note, DC; this could be exactly what you need.
