The hype is red hot for Joker, which is poised to rule the October box office as fan interest is firmly behind the film’s release. Joaquin Phoenix has already overcome initial skepticism and hailed by critics and fans as a worthy actor to portray this enormously popular super villain, so much so that you’d be forgiven if you forgot we had another Joker very recently in the DCEU.
This version, played by Jared Leto, was met with a polarized response. Numerous changes to the character, Leto’s own improvisations, and Suicide Squad’s lackluster story didn’t add up to the actor’s benefit. However, we feel Leto deserves some credit, and here are 6 things Phoenix was superior as in and 4 things Leto pulled off better.
Phoenix: The Laugh
The winning factor for any Joker actor is the ability to nail the iconic laugh. This laugh is such an inseparable part of the character that the litmus test for a first impression is based on this. In this regard, there’s no competition between these two actors as Phoenix wins by a landslide.
His laugh is one that comes from within; you can almost feel it thunder within your own lungs when Phoenix’s Joker lets out his screech of hilarity. Along with that, the laugh tells so much about the scene as well, whether it’s meant to be scary, sad, or darkly hilarious. Leto, on the other hand, easily had the worst laugh we’ve heard, which sounds more like a creaking door being opened.
Leto: He Looks Physically Imposing
Even though Leto didn’t look as formidable as our point would suggest, there’s a certain stature to the Joker where he at least looks like he could be in front of Batman and not have the latter tower over him. Here, Leto’s version has a presence that suggests he wouldn’t seem brittle in fighting situations.
Phoenix’s Joker was deliberately kept looking frail as part of the story, but there’s no escaping that the Joker traditionally doesn’t appear that weak. After all, this is a guy who’s supposed to go up against Batman someday. Between the two, Leto’s version would put up somewhat of a fight.
Phoenix: Sad Moments
Suicide Squad attempted to have its emotional times during the scenes involving Joker and Harley Quinn, but these failed miserably due in part of Joker looking like he was trying too hard to be a lover boy. In the end, these moments were useless to the plot and contributed to the weaknesses of the film.
It’s easy to give the win to Phoenix here, considering there were a lot of times we felt so very bad for this guy. While there’s no denying he became a monster, you do feel for him before he took his dark turn as his life featured one sorry tale after another. Within these moments, you could understand the depth of sadness Phoenix’s Joker was going through.
Leto: Distinct Accent
It’s always been difficult to place as to where the Joker is from, since even his accent doesn’t sound like he’s strictly American. Phoenix didn’t do anything to change his speaking style from when he was Arthur to the Joker, with his mannerisms doing the talking for this point.
This is why we have to hand it to the DCEU Joker for seeming a bit more mysterious due to his unique style of talking. While he did speak as if he was a distant cousin of Jim Carrey’s character in The Mask, there were some hidden depths behind that accent.
Phoenix: He Seems Completely Crazy
Simply flailing around like an idiot and huffing and puffing doesn’t make one look deranged, and that’s something Jared Leto should’ve been informed about. Long story short, his Joker tried too hard to look insane.
Phoenix’s take can be described as totally crazy because of the nuances behind him; he had a stone cold death stare in places, would suddenly break into laughter, and had a mean streak hidden behind a calm demeanor at times. It was mannerisms like these that made the viewer believe this guy was about to go totally nuts.
Leto: Made The Viewer Uncomfortable
This is an ambiguous advantage for Leto, as the reason behind making the viewer uncomfortable can either be because the Joker seemed devious, or perhaps he was just chewing the scenery a bit too thick.
Either way, the DCEU Joker did succeed in replicating in some ways the manner with which the traditional Joker would make the audience squirm as he looked like he was about to jump at you any moment. As mentioned before, Phoenix’s one had the sympathy factor playing for him, so you would give him the benefit of the doubt on occasion when there was an awkward moment going on.
Phoenix: Mixing Appearance With Mannerisms
To be fair, it isn’t difficult beating a guy who has the word “damaged” tattooed on his forehead to convince us he’s crazy. The appearance of Leto’s Joker was all over the place, to the point where he looked like a knockoff Halloween costume.
Meanwhile, Phoenix’s Joker gave us fond memories of Heath Ledger’s version, as both of them resembled a Joker playing card coming to life. Basically, less is more in this situation, and Phoenix played up the Joker costume in tandem with his Joker mannerisms.
Leto: Come Across As A Gangster
Actually, the DCEU Joker was more a gangster than a super villain by the time we were able to make a judgment about his character, as he didn’t seem like someone who could ever match Batman in wits or antagonize him personally. However, the Joker is a gangster when all is said and done, so Leto’s version was successful in making this point come across.
While Phoenix’s version did incite riots by the time the movie ended, he was more of a one-man show than anything else. You simply couldn’t see him controlling large number of thugs the way Leto’s Joker did.
Phoenix: Has A Characterization Of His Own
Other than knowing he’s head over heels for Harley Quinn, what else can you say about the DCEU Joker? He had nothing else going on for him, and his entire character has so far been reliant on Harley, without whom we have no clue what this man wants or does.
Phoenix’s one is rich with character, as we saw his origin tale detail how he was abused as a child, and how the treatment of the world pushed him to the brink. You could talk about what makes Phoenix’s version tick for hours. The same can't be said for Leto’s, who just has the “damaged” tattoo for fans to complain about.
Phoenix: Make The Viewer Want More
At the end of the day, leaving the audience wanting more is how a film comes out victorious, even when there’s no intention for a sequel or another appearance. For the moment, it’s been said there won’t be a Joker sequel, but fans are heavily behind a follow-up to know what became of this man. The questions over his in-universe future are endless, and we’ll be talking about it for a while.
The DCEU has pretty much dropped Leto’s Joker for the time being, as he isn’t appearing in Birds of Prey, and won’t be reprising his role for The Suicide Squad either. Had fan interest been there, then you could be certain we’d be seeing his return, but fans had their fill of Leto’s Joker even in the ten minutes we saw him in Suicide Squad.