As Matt Reeves has already said he has ideas for sequels to The Batman, his potential trilogy faces a big Joker problem. The Joker has long been Batman's most iconic foe and the Dark Knight's biggest nemesis, and their long-standing relationship is often shown to be a defining point of both characters. The Joker embodies all of the qualities that Batman doesn't possess - his spontaneity and humor define the character's chaotic personality in a way that perfectly complements Batman's darker, more serious approach to his vigilantism.

Much like his rich comic book history, the Joker has appeared in a number of different cinematic guises portrayed by a number of actors, and every movie Joker has brought something different to the character. First, there was Cesar Romero, then Jack Nicholson, then Heath Ledger's iconic take in The Dark Knight, followed by Jared Leto's DCEU version, and finally, Joaquin Phoenix in 2019's Joker.

Related: Pattinson's Batman Shouldn't Fight Joker (To Avoid A Dark Knight Problem)

With so many previous cinematic interpretations, Matt Reeves' The Batman trilogy faces an impossible task as far as the Joker is concerned. Every Batman needs a Joker, but with so many previous cinematic takes on the character, it may not be possible to bring anything new to The Batman's version. Previous versions have even touched on the very tone that Reeves' film seeks to emulate, putting any Joker going up against Robert Pattinson's Batman at an immediate disadvantage to previous iterations.

There Are Too Many Cinematic Jokers Already

Joker DC Movie Universe Future Explained

A character as iconic as the Joker comes with a rich (and sometimes contradictory) back story. However, as far as including the character in The Batman trilogy goes, this is further complicated by the sheer amount of previous Joker iterations. While so far, each version of the character has been relatively unique, there are few new ways to interpret the character that doesn't fundamentally change some aspect of what makes the Joker so special.

Romero's Joker was a sillier take on the character, and Nicholson's was comically deadly (with an added Bruce Wayne link to add some personal stakes). Heath Ledger's enigmatic Joker was perhaps the most deeply disturbing version, Jared Leto's was a significant departure from the more traditional portrayals, and Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck was a refreshingly original take. However, with so many varied ideas behind each version, taking the Joker in a genuinely new direction is something that will be difficult to do for Matt Reeves' The Batman trilogy.

Joker Is A Difficult Fit For The Batman's Tone

split image of the Joker with Robert Pattinson in The Batman

Joker has always been the polar opposite of the dark, brooding figure of Batman. This juxtaposition is what makes the pair such perfect enemies, but it's also one of the main reasons why Reeves has a hard task ahead of him if he intends to incorporate the character into The Batman's Gotham. With Reeves' The Batman a dark and grounded take on Batman's characters, Joker could be difficult to adapt to match that tone.

Related: The Batman Shouldn't Have To Beat The Dark Knight (But Can It?)

The Joker's cartoonish nature is often used to contrast the brutal nature of his crimes. As such, it's become as iconic a part of the character as his green hair or purple suit, and that's not something that will easily slot into the tone of The Batman. Paul Dano's Riddler has been significantly redesigned for The Batman in order to make him a more realistic villain - a route that isn't so straightforward when it comes to adapting the Joker.

Joker's Varied Origins Make It Difficult To Satisfy Fans

The Joker in the moment he loses his sanity in The Killing Joke

The Joker's origin story isn't an easy thing to pin down. In fact, many versions of the character steer clear of any specific origin, opting instead to maintain an air of mystery with regards to how exactly the character came to be the Clown Prince of Crime. While this works for the character in a general sense, it actually makes adapting him to the big screen increasingly difficult. With there being a number of different movie Jokers, there's also been a number of different origin stories. While some are more highly regarded than others, there's so much mystery surrounding the character's specific past that no one story will ever quite be enough. In fact, the more enigmatic versions of the character, like Ledger's Dark Knight Joker, are almost universally the most beloved, making it clear that actually exploring the character's origins is often disappointing.

Heath Ledger's Joker Was What Reeves Needs

Robert Pattinson in The Batman and Heath Ledger as Joker in The Dark Knight

Ultimately, in order to incorporate the Joker into The Batman, Matt Reeves needs a very specific type of character. Reeves' Joker needs to be grounded, violent, and darkly comedic, with a slightly more realistic touch than traditional versions of the character. What Reeves' Batman trilogy needs is Heath Ledger's Joker. Naturally, that's not possible, but it actually presents a far greater issue than it might seem at first glance. After Ledger's tragic passing, recreating something close to his Joker would seem tasteless, and therefore, The Batman would ideally need to distance its use of the character from The Dark Knight's version. The only way to successfully do that would be to either alter the tone or significantly change the Joker for Robert Pattinson's Batman - neither of which seem to be the ideal for Reeves' trilogy.

Phoenix's Joker Wouldn't Work With Batman

Arthur Fleck in clown make-up looking down in Joker

While Heath Ledger's Joker remains the most popular cinematic iteration of the character, Joaquin Phoenix's Oscar-winning performance as Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' Joker is, for most, a close second. Phoenix brought a disturbing sense of sympathy to the role, making for a deep and interesting exploration of exactly what the Joker can be. Even so, Phoenix's Joker doesn't entirely fit the tone of Reeves' The Batman, either.

Phillips' Joker perhaps offers too much insight into its titular villain for him to ever fully do the character justice when pit against Batman. Pattinson's more brutal Batman certainly wouldn't seem as much of a hero when measured against Phoenix's more sympathetic Joker. While that's something The Batman is likely to embrace, it would perhaps be too much of a shift in the traditional dynamic between the two characters for fans to appreciate.

Exactly how Matt Reeves' The Batman trilogy will handle the character of Joker and his relationship with Robert Pattinson's Batman is unclear. What is clear, however, is that using the character of the Joker presents a number of difficult obstacles. Whether or not Reeves makes full (or any) use of the Joker in The Batman, those impossible problems will need to be overcome in order to give Pattinson's Batman his greatest foe.

Next: DC's Joker Sequels Should Be An Anthology (Not A Straightforward Trilogy)

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