Playing one of the world’s most popular superheroes is one thing, but the Clown Prince of Crime? Perhaps that’s a bit too much to ask for. At least, that’s going to be the case if a casting director comes knocking onAndrew Garfield’s door to inquire about playing the Joker. Of course, Garfield is very well known for his role as Peter Parker inThe Amazing Spider-Man, which is coupled with rumors of his return inNo Way Homenext month, but taking on the role of such a dastardly supervillain would be completely new for the actor.
Speaking with GQ, Garfield was fielding questions when he was asked about potentially playing theJoker, possibly in a sequel to The Batman with Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne. That might be a dream role for some actors, but not for Garfield. Per Heroic Hollywood, here’s what Garfield said when asked if he’d be interested in putting on the paint.
“[I] wouldn’t go near [playing Joker]. [It’s] sweet of you to think that it’s possible. But I don’t think I could ever do it because of what Heath [Ledger] did, what Jack Nicholson did. And, but then, of course, Joaquin [Phoenix] did his own genius thing.”
It’s definitely true that actors need to take some caution when taking on the role of such an iconic character like the Clown Prince of Crime. There have been multiple to play Joker so far, with the aforementioned actors all drawing immense praise for their respective portrayals. However, it does not always turn out that way, and playing the part can be a big gamble if the fans don’t take to the portrayal well. While Jared Leto has redeemed himself in many ways with a different look inZack Snyder’s Justice League, his debut as the Joker in David Ayer’sSuicide Squadwaswidely panned, squashing early plans at Warner Bros. to use that version of the character in other DC projects.
As of now, it’s unclear if Leto’s Joker will return to the DCEU, although he has suggested thathe’s open to revisiting that role. Meanwhile, it seems inevitable that the supervillain will meet Robert Pattinson’s Batman at one point as well.The Batmantaking place in a new continuity means that the door is open for another actor to play a live-action Joker on the big screen, and regardless of who it is, there will be a lot of pressure on that actor to follow those that came in the years before.
We may never see Andrew Garfield in that role either, but chances are we haven’t seen the last of his version of Spider-Man. There are heavy rumors of him appearing in the upcoming sequelSpider-Man: No Way Hometo accompany Tobey Maguire in meeting the newest Spidey actor Tom Holland. Villains from the variousSpider-Manmovie universes have been shown in theNo Way Hometeasers and trailers, but Garfield has not been officially confirmed, andhe continues to denythat he’s really in it. Even so, most fans aren’t buying it. This news originates fromGQ.
