The DCEU will soon have three different versions of Batman in action, but it could have even more takes on the Joker. So far, the DCEU has featured one iteration of each: Ben Affleck played the Dark Knight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, while Jared Leto played the Clown Prince of Crime in Suicide Squad (which Affleck’s Batman cameoed in). If things had gone to plan, they would've each continued into their respective roles longer, but critical and commercial failings and changes in leadership meant such ideas had to change.
Although Affleck stepped away from the Batman role, he’ll be back on screen in the coming years, with the Justice League Snyder Cut in 2021, followed by an appearance of some sort in The Flash movie in 2022. The latter will also see Michael Keaton’s Batman return, as it opens up the DC multiverse. On top of that, there’s Robert Pattinson’s new version of the the Caped Crusader, who’ll debut in Matt Reeves’ The Batman in 2022, and is likely going to serve as the "main" big screen Batman in the long-term.
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Of course, where there’s a Batman, a Joker is never likely to be far away, and DC movies could have even more of them in the future. Jared Leto will return as Joker in Justice League, meaning at least one DCEU version in play. As well as him, there’s Joaquin Phoenix’s take; he’s not technically in the DCEU, but is expected to return in a sequel to 2019’s Joker. That’s two DC movie Jokers, and Phoenix will be part of the overall multiverse, and could connect to other characters at some point. The Batman and The Flash, meanwhile, could introduce their own Jokers as well.
Though The Batman already has a lot of villains, it is set to be the first movie in a trilogy. Eventually, that would almost certainly need to include the Joker, given he is Batman’s most iconic villain. While it may be that the multiverse is how Pattinson’s Batman fights Phoenix’s Joker, given how similar their two worlds already seem, it’s equally viable that the franchise will continue to stand more on its own two feet and instead choose to introduce yet another new take on the character.
Along with that, it would also make sense for The Flash to introduce the Joker, though this time with a twist. The Flash will be adapting the comic Flashpoint, which sees Barry Allen alter the timeline. In this new reality, Thomas Wayne, Bruce’s father, is Batman, and his mother, Martha, is the Joker. It remains to be seen whether Thomas Wayne’s Batman will be in the film, but with at least two versions of Batman in The Flash, it would fit to introduce a Joker for one of them. Whether played by Lauren Cohan (who filled the role of Martha Wayne in Batman v Superman) or someone else, Martha Wayne’s Joker would be a great new spin on the character for the big screen. With the DCEU multiverse very much in play, all four Jokers would be loosely connected, but with the potential for crossovers, team-ups, and multiple Joker storylines. DC is going in on having more than one Batman, so it’s hardly a surprise they’d go for several Jokers alongside them.
