Fans are already loving Joaquin Phoenix's version of the Clown Prince of Crime in Joker, and he may just be the creepiest iteration ever. DC's iconic villain has had many interpretations in media over the last several decades. Through movies and TV - both live-action and animation - there's already been some great takes on the character. But, none of them have ever received the starring role that Phoenix will.
The three time Oscar-nominee is set to star in Joker, a solo origin story set outside of Warner Bros. and DC Films' shared universe. Todd Phillips is directing the movie and the studios just recently unveiled the first look at the movie through a teaser trailer. The tone and character study approach made it clear that Joker is not most comic book movies, with Phoenix's performance already impressing many.
Related: Joker Trailer Breakdown - Every Reveal
After just a single trailer and not even three minutes of footage, there are some who get the feeling that Phoenix's version of Joker could be the best one yet - but is he the creepiest too? Screen Rant tackles this topic in our latest video, which compares what we've seen about Phoenix's take to Jokers of the past. With his creepy clown makeup, laugh, smile, lingering, and possible backstory, he may just be the creepiest version to date. Check out the full comparison in the video at the top of this post.
Phoenix does have some stiff competition to claim the title of the best Joker ever seen on screen, but his creepiness is what currently sets him apart. Caeser Ramero's version from the '60s is inherently campy, while Jack Nicholson's from Batman is a good mix of goofy and madness. Mark Hamill's voice performance in a variety of animated shows and movies is highly regarded, and Cameron Monaghan has impressed Gotham viewers with his own spin on the character. Jared Leto's take from Suicide Squad divided audiences, but it is Heath Ledger's from The Dark Knight that was an award winning turn and still considered the best to date by many.
That all said, it is still a bit premature to definitively call Phoenix's version of Joker the creepiest one, much less the best. There has been less than three minutes of footage from his performance released so far, and his performance could play completely different during the actual movie. Thankfully, there are only a few months left before Joker hits theaters and we get to see exactly how good and creepy Phoenix's Joker actually is.
More: Dark Theories About Joaquin Phoenix's Joker
