Mark Hamill's Joker from the Batman: The Animated Series will not return as the Clown Prince of Crime in the future according to the actor and it's for a touching reason. Hamill, who is known worldwide for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, has developed another, just-as-iconic performance as Batman villain Joker over the years. Hamill first played the character in 1992, in the groundbreaking Batman: The Animated Series, and has since voiced the character in several spinoff series, video games, and films.
Batman: The Animated Series' Conroy version of Batman was extremely important to the future of the character, bringing directly to mainstream audiences the most faithful adaptation of the Dark Knight from the comics, perhaps to this day. The cartoon perfectly represented Gotham City, with its characters and storylines being so rich they would become default traits of some iconic villains, such as Mr. Freeze. Kevin Conroy's Batman and Hamill's Joker carried the show, with their interactions being lauded to this day as the best representation of the characters' dynamic.
Why Mark Hamill Won't Voice The Joker Again
Throughout his journey as the Joker, Hamill has had one constant partner in Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy. Sadly Conroy passed away in 2022. Speaking with Empire Magazine, Hamill reveals that he does not believe he will return as the Joker following the death of his longtime friend and collaborator.
Hamill doubts whether he'll ever take up the Joker mantle again without Conroy there to trade lines with - it was heading that way anyway, he says. "They would call and say, 'They want you to do the Joker,' and my only question was, 'Is Kevin Batman?' If they said yes, I would say, 'I'm in.' We were like partners. We were like Laurel and Hardy. Without Kevin there, there doesn't seem to be a Batman for me."
The dynamic between Batman and Joker is one of the greatest hero and villain pairings in all of pop culture history. While there have been many pairings to bring this relationship to life, it is quite possible that Hamill and Conroy were the best team. It is understandable and a touching tribute that Hamill would choose to retire his iconic character once he no longer had that other half to play off of.
The Case For Mark Hamill As The Best Joker
Hamill developed a beloved version of Joker over the years, with famous character traits like the best Joker laugh belonging to Hamill. All in all, he has voiced the Joker across several animated series and films, including Batman: The Animated Series, Mask of the Phantasm, New Batman Adventures, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. The actor manages to bring the chaotic side of the Joker to life perfectly every time he is on the screen. Be it whatever situation the character is put in, there has not been a single time when Hamill's version of the Joker has not felt authentic to Batman's greatest comic book villain.
Hamill has also expanded his voice role as the Joker to other forms of media, with his turn in the Batman: Arkham series of video games helping to modernize the villain and introduce new generations of DC fans to his version of the character. The first game in the series, 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum, was released 14 years after the ending of his first time playing the character in Batman: The Animated Series. Hamill beautifully did the job of breathing new life into his performance and making the case for why he is the best Joker of all.
Three other live-action versions of the Joker come the closest to comparing to Hamill's. Jack Nicholson's from 1989's Batman was a member of Gotham's mafia with a very deadly, yet campy, portrayal of the character. Then came the Oscar-winning Heath Ledger version of the Joker from The Dark Knight. Ledger's Joker was beautifully addicted to creating chaos, with his darkly comedic take on the character being also a criminal mastermind, effectively beating Batman by successfully corrupting Harvey Dent.
Finally, the most recent version of the Joker, Joaquin Phoenix's, was the focus of his own movie that told the villain's origin story. Phoenix's Joker was a compelling and tragic take on the character. However, Hamill's version from Batman: The Animated Series is still the best, as the actor's performance includes all the best parts from the other versions.
Source: Empire Magazine