DC fans have reacted to the recent trailer for Joaquin Phoenix’s upcoming Joker film, drawing favourable comparisons to the late Heath Ledger’s take on the iconic Batman villain. Phoenix will portray a 1970s, Martin Scorsese-inspired version of the character, in a film directed by the Hangover’s Todd Phillips. Ledger would have turned 40 today.

“Heath Ledger would be PROUD.” wrote a fan on Twitter. “The key to any Joker movie after Heath Ledger’s Oscars winning performance is finding someone who can make it their own and unique. I commend Jared Leto, but this, whether it works or not, is exactly the type of unique take that we need,” wrote another.

“It’s really smart to treat the character as more sympathetic & present us with a slow decay & erosion of his mental state over time. I understand that a #Joker origin story goes against the core tenets of the character in many ways. But if they’re gonna do it, this is the way,” wrote journalist Brandon Katz. He continued, “All I ask of the fandom is that we hold ourselves to a higher standard and not spend the foreseeable future constantly comparing Joaquin Phoenix’s #Joker to Heath Ledger’s Joker. I think we can all agree how exhausting that will get.”

One fan, sharing old photos of the two actors off set, wrote, “Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix were friends. So, how about we stop with the extreme comparisons of their Joker performances and propping up one to shit on the other? It’s disrespectful and tasteless.” They continued, “Heath would be proud of what his peer has accomplished.”

See more reactions here:

All I ask of the fandom is that we hold ourselves to a higher standard and not spend the foreseeable future constantly comparing Joaquin Pheonix's #Joker to Heath Ledger's Joker. I think we can all agree how exhausting that will get.

— Brandon Katz (@Great_Katzby) April 3, 2019

Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix were friends. So, how about we stop with the extreme comparisons of their Joker performances and propping up one to shit on the other? It's disrespectful and tasteless.

Heath would be proud of what his peer has accomplished. pic.twitter.com/eEC36URDfw

— Autistic Wrestling Fan (@TBroomey) April 3, 2019

The key to any Joker movie after Heath Ledger’s Oscars winning performance is finding someone who can make it their own and unique. I commend Jared Leto, but this, whether it works or not, is exactly the type of unique take that we need.

— Jeff D: Endgame (@JeffDLowe) April 3, 2019

Also, this shot from #JokerMovie is an homage to Heath Ledger in #10ThingsIHateAboutYou. You can't convince me otherwise. pic.twitter.com/Osx9Q1a4Ai

— Keith Chow (@the_real_chow) April 3, 2019

Heath Ledger would be PROUD. pic.twitter.com/30bwFhKF80

— DC Comics ⚡ #Shazam (@UniversoDCnauta) April 3, 2019

Heath Ledger was a great actor - even without Joker. Today they released the first trailer of the new Joker movie and Heath Ledger is trending. Tomorrow is his birthday btw. He became only 28 and died when he was peaking. One of the greatest. Rest in peace 😔

— sj (@sun2jay) April 3, 2019

Heath Ledger was an iconic Joker but people have got to stop comparing every actor that takes on The Joker's role to Heath's interpretation of him. There is so many different faces and personalities of The Joker and seeing different actors portray the character is fascinating.

— 🌺 Emily 🌺 (@OhMyEmz) April 3, 2019

I really, really hope we don't fall into the "Joker is gonna suck because Heath Ledger isn't here" realm. I know it's already happening, but we're talking about an iconic character that has been interpreted many times. That's like saying only Paul Robeson could play Othello.

— Randy (@pamsson) April 3, 2019

Jack Nicholson's Joker is the Joker.
Heath Ledger's Joker is the Joker.
Cesar Romero's Joker is the Joker.
Jared Leto's Joker is the Joker.
Mark Hamill's Joker is the Joker.

Joaquin Phoenix's Joker will be the Joker. There's room for more than one.

Stop being stupid.#Joker pic.twitter.com/kukHCbZjb4

— Bernard Oliver (@boliver36) April 3, 2019

Ledger died just months before the release of The Dark Knight, in which he won great acclaim for his portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime. Ledger won a posthumous Academy Award for his performance, which is often considered to be among the greatest screen villains of all time.

Phoenix is a three-time Oscar nominee. The actor, who was in contention to play Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, told Collider in an interview, “I take a lot of time and consideration when making decisions and what I’m gonna work on always.”

He continued, “There is something very appealing about… working with Todd on this particular project. It feels unique, it is its own world in some ways, and maybe, mostly, it scares the fucking shit out of me or something. It might as well be the thing that scares you the most.”

Also read: After Shazam, the DCEU no longer needs Batman and Superman

The Joker trailer has been viewed 11 million times on YouTube and more than 12 million times on Twitter. The film is scheduled for an October release.

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First Published: Apr 04, 2019 13:35 IST