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The
Joker, a
supervillain in
DC Comics and
archenemy of the superhero
Batman, has appeared in various media.
WorldCat (a catalog of libraries in 170 countries) records over 250 productions featuring the Joker as a subject, including films, television series, books, and video games.[1] Live-action films featuring the character are typically the most successful.[2]
The Joker appears in Batman (1966), portrayed by
Cesar Romero. Romero refused to shave his distinctive moustache for the role, so it was partially visible beneath the white face makeup applied.[6] This version of the Joker is based on the character in the 1960s comics, who is more of an elaborate prankster who uses harmless weapons and Vaudeville-type humor to commit his crimes. Even though he did try to kill both Batman and Robin in various episodes, he wasn't homicidal like his comic book counterpart.[7]
The mythology of the Joker is explored throughout Gotham, a television series focusing on the beginnings of the
Batman lore. Believing that the Joker should not precede Batman, showrunner
Bruno Heller initially did not want to use the character,[10] but later decided to "scratch the surface" of his origin because "this is America — nobody wants to wait."[11]Jerome Valeska, the mentally unhinged son of a
nymphomaniac circus performer, was introduced as an homage to the Joker in the
first season, portrayed by
Cameron Monaghan.[12] While Monaghan was not comfortable drawing from the previous live-action actors who had played the Joker, he did take influence from
Mark Hamill in his performance, as well as various comic books featuring the supervillain.[13] The character returned at the start of the
second season but was promptly killed off, after which various citizens begin imitating his actions and a
voice-over proclaims that his legacy will be "death and madness." This was done to create a deep-rooted mythology for the Joker's backstory in
Gotham City.[14] In the
fourth season, Monaghan begins playing Jerome's twin brother,
Jeremiah Valeska. The character was intended to represent different characteristics of the Joker absent from Jerome.[15][16] The
series finale leaves it ambiguous as to whether or not Jeremiah becomes the Joker later in the show's continuity.[17] During the virtual
DC FanDome event in 2020, a documentary titled The Joker: Put on a Happy Face was made to celebrate the character's 80th anniversary. This documentary includes Jeremiah Valeska from Gotham among the various iterations of the Joker adapted for film and television.[18]
Powerless (2017)
The Joker makes a cameo appearance in the Powerless episode "Wayne or Lose".[19]
Joker makes cameo appearances in Titans, portrayed by Mustafa Bulut.[20]
Arrowverse
Joker was confirmed to be part of the
Arrowverse in Batwoman, portrayed by Nathan Dashwood. In the pilot episode, his hijacking of a bus led to the accident that separated Kate Kane from Beth and their mother Gabi despite Batman's attempt to save them.[21] In the episode "
I'll Be Judge, I'll Be Jury", it was revealed that his real name is Jack Napier and had been previously prosecuted by assistant district attorney Angus Stanton.[22] In "
A Narrow Escape", it is revealed that Bruce had killed Joker at some point as Luke Fox revealed to Kate that "The Joker Is Not In Arkham". In season two, it was discovered that Jack Napier worked on a painting using intestinal blood from one of his victims as it is discovered that it contained the map to Coryana where
Jacob Kane suspects that Kate is being held prisoner. While the painting that Jacob took off a defeated Wolf Spider was a fake, the real one is in the possession of Safiyah Sohail's former minion Ocean. In "Kane, Kate", a brainwashed Kate stolen all of Batman's trophies belongs to his enemies from the Batcave, which includes the Joker's acid flower. In the season 2 finale episode "Power", Alice used Joker's acid flower on Roman Sionis' face and having his mask welded into his face claiming that Joker is better than him. In the third season episode "A Lesson from Professor Pyg", Jada Jet revealed to Ryan Wilder that her son (and Ryan's half-brother) Marquis Jet (portrayed by Nick Creegan) was attacked by Joker during his bus hijacking by placing his electric joy buzzer on his head, rendering him psychopathic. Marquis ultimately carries on the Joker's legacy over the course of the season and takes over as CEO of Wayne Enterprises after a hostile takeover. He sports purple hair and an orange suit and acquires Joker inspired items. The episode "Broken Toys" revealed that Joker had a toymaker minion named Kiki Roulette (portrayed by
Judy Reyes) who built Joker's joy buzzer as she allies with Marquis. In the episode "We're All Mad Here", Joker was finally seen when Marquis recaps his encounter with Joker and Alice recalls the hijacked bus running Gabi's car off the bridge. Marquis quoted to Alice that fate brought them together. In the season finale, Marquis plans to crash a blimp loaded with the Joker's toxic gas into Gotham, but during the final fight, Ryan manages to press the joy buzzer to Marquis's head once again, restoring his sanity and destroying the Joker's legacy.
An alternate version of the Joker is also mentioned to have existed in the universe of Superman Returns in the crossover event "
Crisis on Infinite Earths", where Clark Kent mentions to Lois Lane and Iris West that the Joker used his gas to massacre the majority of the Daily Planet staff, including Lois Lane and Perry White. The Joker's actions are undone when
Oliver Queen sacrifices himself to defeat the Anti-Monitor and create a new multiverse.
In the film, Jack Napier is the right-hand man of mob boss
Carl Grissom (
Jack Palance) prior to his transformation into the Joker. During a confrontation with the vigilante Batman (
Michael Keaton) in a chemical factory, Napier's face is wounded by a ricocheting bullet and he falls into a vat of chemical waste, turning his skin white, his hair green and his lips red. A botched attempt at plastic surgery leaves him with a permanent
rictus grin. Driven insane by his reflection, the Joker kills Grissom and takes over his syndicate, launching a crime wave designed to "outdo" Batman, who he thinks is getting too much press. The Joker describes himself as "the world's first fully functional homicidal artist" who makes
avant-garde "art" by killing people with cosmetics laced with
Smylex, which leaves its victims with a grotesque grin similar to his own.[26] Bruce Wayne later recognizes the Joker as the mugger who murdered
hisparents years before, leading him down the path of becoming a crime-fighter. The Joker nearly massacres Gotham City's bicentennial celebration and kidnaps reporter
Vicki Vale (
Kim Basinger) to draw Batman out to a climactic battle atop a Gothic cathedral. After telling Batman that they "made each other", the Joker attempts to escape via helicopter, but Batman ties a
grappling hook around his leg and attaches it to a stone
gargoyle, causing the Joker to fall to his death when the statue breaks loose of its moorings.
Nicholson was to reprise his role in Batman Unchained, the fifth film planned for the series.[27][28] The Joker was to return as a hallucination in Batman's mind caused by the
Scarecrow's fear
toxin, and
Harley Quinn was to appear as his daughter trying to get revenge on Batman for his death.[29] Due to the critical and commercial failure of
Batman & Robin, however, this film was cancelled.
In the film, the Joker is hired by Gotham City's mob bosses to kill Batman and announces that he will kill people every day until Batman takes off his mask in public and surrenders himself to police. During his reign of terror, he kills several people in Gotham, including Bruce Wayne's childhood sweetheart
Rachel Dawes (
Maggie Gyllenhaal) and scars Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent's (
Aaron Eckhart) face, transforming him into the insane vigilante
Two-Face. Batman ultimately defeats him, but the Joker gloats that he has won "the battle for Gotham's soul" by corrupting Dent, and tells Batman that "you and I are destined to do this forever" as he is taken to
Arkham Asylum.
The Joker is considered to be Ledger's finest performance; he himself regarded it as his most enjoyable. When the film was released in July 2008, six months after the actor had died from an accidental
prescription drug overdose, the performance caused a sensation and received universal acclaim; Ledger was posthumously awarded the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.[30][31]
Jared Leto debuts as the Joker in
2016'sSuicide Squad, written and directed by
David Ayer.[35] Although many scenes featuring the Joker were omitted from the theatrical release, some of this unused footage did make it into the
extended cut.[36][37] Leto also appeared as the Joker in the music video "
Purple Lamborghini", by
Skrillex and
Rick Ross, from the film's
soundtrack.[38]Mark Hamill, the voice of the Joker in various DC projects, said that he "loved" Leto's take on the character.[39][40]
Despite not making an official appearance, the Joker's presence plays a pivotal part in the film Birds of Prey, with the plot involving
Harley Quinn (
Margot Robbie) trying to cope with life in Gotham City without his protection. The Joker appears in animated form in the film's prologue, which details Harley's life and separation from him, while a scene of Jared Leto from Suicide Squad is used in a flashback sequence. In addition, an uncredited Johnny Goth portrayed the character from the back in a similar flashback scene in which Harley and the Joker tattoo a man's face. This was done in this way since the director felt that the film didn't need Leto to return for the character to still have a presence.[41]
In 2018, a film featuring the Joker entered development.
Jared Leto was attached as an executive producer in addition to reprising his role as the
Joker, as well as being involved with hiring the film's production crew.[44] By February 2019, the film had been canceled, and
a Joker film unrelated to the DCEU was released later that year.[45]
Joker (2019)
In 2016,
Todd Phillips began working on a stand-alone Joker film,[46] with intent for it to launch a line of films unconnected to the DCEU called DC Black.[47][48] Development of the film was confirmed in August 2017; Phillips was attached to direct and cowrite with
Scott Silver, while
Martin Scorsese was set to produce.[49] The film, Joker, was released in October 2019.[50]
In Joker,
Joaquin Phoenix portrays Arthur Fleck, a
party clown and aspiring
stand-up comedian who suffers from a
mental illness that causes
pathological laughter. He lives with his delusional abusive adoptive mother Penny (
Frances Conroy) in
Gotham City in 1981 and idolizes talk show host Murray Franklin (
Robert De Niro). After losing his job for dropping a gun in a children's hospital, Arthur kills three
Wayne Enterprises employees on a train in self-defense, sparking city-wide protests. He slowly descends into insanity, killing his mother and the colleague (
Glenn Fleshler) who gave him the gun. When he is invited on Franklin's show after being mocked on it, Arthur rants about society abandoning him and murders Franklin on live television. He is arrested but is rescued by protesters in clown masks and celebrated by them as a hero. His actions inspire
a protester to
kill the Waynes, making him indirectly responsible for Batman's existence.[51][52] Phoenix was awarded the
Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, making him the second actor to receive an Academy Award for playing the character, following Heath Ledger. In June 2022, Philips confirmed a sequel titled Joker: Folie à Deux is in development with Phoenix reprising his role. It was also reported that the film will be a musical.[53][54]
Joker's physical appearance in the film was designed with the involvement of makeup artist
Mike Marino, who similarly assisted in developing the
fatsuit and
prosthetics used for the film's iteration of
Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot / Penguin (
Colin Farrell). This incarnation of the character, seen only out of focus or in extreme
close-ups, has a permanent smile as a result of an unknown biological condition and physically appears to have peeling skin and a burned scalp with patches of hair. Matt Reeves described this adaptation of the Joker as deformed from an early age, like
Joseph Merrick, the
Phantom of the Opera, or Gwynplaine in The Man Who Laughs (1928), and adept at using other people's horror to his advantage. The scene establishes that the Joker has a prior history with Batman, possibly as one of his first captures.[59][58]
Larry Storch provided the voice of the Joker in two episodes of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, in which he teams up with the
Penguin and runs afoul of Batman, Robin and the Mystery Inc. gang.
The Joker appears in The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians episode "The Wild Cards", voiced by
Frank Welker.[62][63] He assists
Darkseid by disguising himself as Ace, the leader of the
Royal Flush Gang. Operating out of a giant house of cards, he recruits four thieves to be the rest of the Royal Flush Gang and leads them in capturing the heroes so that Darkseid's invasion force can attack Earth unimpeded. When Batman frees the captured heroes and they stop the invasion force, an enraged Darkseid hurls Joker through a portal that opens high in the sky.
Wonder Woman catches him and he is arrested.
The Joker returned in the follow-up series The New Batman Adventures (1997–1999) with a stylistic redesign. He was redesigned to have less prominent lips, a purple and green suit, darker hair, and white eyes with black sclera, resembling a skull. Furthermore, a 1950s-inspired incarnation of the character appears in the episode "Legends of the Dark Knight", voiced by
Michael McKean.[66]
In the Superman: The Animated Series episode "World's Finest", a bankrupt Joker travels to
Metropolis and makes a deal with
Lex Luthor to kill
Superman in exchange for a billion dollars only to be foiled by Batman and Superman, seemingly getting killed in an explosion. In the Justice League episodes "Injustice For All" and "Wild Cards", the Joker joins Luthor's Injustice League, despite the latter's protests owing to their failed partnership in "World's Finest" and pits the
Justice League against the
Royal Flush Gang as part of an elaborate ruse, respectively. In "A Better World", a
lobotomized Joker is briefly seen in an alternate universe ruled by the
Justice Lords. The Joker was later featured in the Static Shock episode "The Big Leagues", in which he starts a crime spree with a gang of Bang Babies but is foiled by
Static, Batman and
Robin.
The Joker made his final chronological appearance in the direct-to-video feature film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000), in which he mysteriously returns to
Gotham City 40 years in the future. Flashbacks reveal that he and Harley Quinn kidnapped and tortured Robin (Tim Drake) for three weeks, turning him into an insane, miniature version of himself dubbed 'Joker Junior', learning Batman's secret identity in the process. He is ultimately killed in a battle with Batman and Batgirl; originally, he died after being shot by Tim, but in the edited version created amid controversy surrounding the
Columbine High School massacre, he is pushed into cables and electrocuted offscreen. However, Joker secretly implanted a
microchip in Drake's neck that possessed a copy of the Joker's consciousness and DNA, allowing him to take over his body and be revived. However, he is eventually defeated and killed again by the new Batman,
Terry McGinnis. In the film, Joker was redesigned once again, the flashback depicts him in his original attire but his face is redesigned as a mix of both his appearance in Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures bringing back his red lips which are rendered in a darker tone and his yellow sclera with red eyes are brought back. His future version is the same but wears a purple jumpsuit and his hair is slicked back. The redesign depicted in the flashback was later used for his earlier chronological appearances in Static Shock and Justice League.
The Batman (2004–2008)
The Joker appears in The Batman, voiced by
Kevin Michael Richardson.[66] This version sports a significantly different appearance, with dreadlocks, red eyes, black fingerless gloves, and (initially) a purple and yellow straitjacket. Additionally, he is more reliant on physical combat than his comical gadgets, using his feet as dexterously as his hands to climb and hang from walls and ceilings. Most notably, this Joker was responsible for creating the first
Clayface, accidentally infecting Detective Ethan Bennett with his Joker putty, and as a result, he became the target of Ethan's revenge.
The Joker also appears in the direct-to-video spin-off film The Batman vs. Dracula (2005). At the start, he launches a riot at Arkham Asylum, allowing both himself and the Penguin to escape, but during a subsequent confrontation with Batman, he accidentally falls into a river while wearing his electrified joy buzzer and is presumed dead. However, he ultimately survives and attempts to steal the treasure that he believes Penguin found; but what he presumes to be a chest is actually Dracula's casket, and upon accidentally awakening him, Joker is attacked and turned into a vampire. Unlike Dracula's other victims, Joker retains his personality and free will and raids a blood bank, where he is captured by Batman and used as a test subject for a cure for his infliction. After being cured, Joker is sent back to Arkham Asylum.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008–2011)
The Joker appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by
Jeff Bennett.[66] This version's appearance, personality and antagonism with Batman are similar to the Silver Age version drawn by
Dick Sprang. Additionally, a heroic alternate universe version of the character,
Red Hood, appears in the episodes "Deep Cover for Batman!", "Game Over for Owlman!", and "Mitefall!".
The Joker appears in the Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? episode "What a Night, For a Dark Knight!", voiced again by Hamill. He poses as
Man-Bat while using harnesses to make him fly to kidnap
Alfred Pennyworth and get access to Bruce Wayne's account. When Joker is defeated and unmasked,
Daphne does give a positive compliment of his hair. Joker also made a cameo appearance in the episode, "One-Minute Mysteries", where the gang, who teamed up with The Flash, unmasked the Giant Teddy Bear believed to be the Joker and Fred unmasked again actually revealing The Trickster.
Harley Quinn (2019–present)
The Joker appears in Harley Quinn, voiced by
Alan Tudyk.[70] This version is a member of the
Legion of Doom. In the first episode, he proves to Harley multiple times that he does not truly care about her, prompting her to leave him and strive to become her own supervillain and surpass him. Afterward, Joker makes constant attempts to get back at her, culminating in taking over Gotham, temporarily killing Ivy, and capturing Harley, her crew, and Batman in the first-season finale. He then admits that he still loves Harley and decides to throw her in acid that will render her "normal" and eliminate any feelings Joker still has for her. Joker ultimately falls into the acid instead, though not before he destroys all of Gotham. Despite physically surviving, the acid renders him sane and causes his skin to return to normal.
In the second season, the Joker, cured of his insanity, leads a normal life as a bartender, barring sparse memories of his criminal past and the odd maniacal laughing fit. He also forms a relationship with a nurse named Bethany, who finds him among Gotham's ruins and nurses him back to health, and even becomes a stepfather to her children. When it's revealed that the
Justice League is required to cleanse Gotham of Harley's discarded
Parademon army and stop
Doctor Psycho, Joker lets it slip that he recalls gifting the kids with a fairy tale book, which he forgot had the heroes sealed inside it by the
Queen of Fables. Harley knocks the Joker into the acid again, restoring his villainous form and his full memory. During their quest to recover the book, reflects on his relationship with Bethany and realizes he found true love. He later reconciles with her and chooses to maintain both his criminal lifestyle and relationship with Bethany.
By the third season, the Joker has remained committed to his role as a suburban stepfather and largely abandoned crime. In "Joker: The Killing Vote", he decides to run for mayor for the good of his stepchildren and gets elected on a technicality after
Commissioner Gordon, having noticed his change for the better, drops out of the race. In the fourth season, Joker announces his return to villainy, which his new family approves of, and rejoins the Legion of Doom. For his first evil act, he claims to have murdered
Nightwing, although it is later revealed that he merely took credit for it from a sleep-deprived Harley. He later attempts to save face by shooting
Batgirl.
DC Super Hero Girls (2019–2021)
The Joker appears in DC Super Hero Girls, voiced by Jeremiah Watkins. This version is a teenager and inmate of the Arkham Reform School.
Batwheels (2022–present)
The Joker appears in Batwheels, voiced by
Mick Wingert. This version sports white makeup rather than bleached skin, and is accompanied by his Jokermobile Prank, who was brought to life by the Badcomputer to be part of his Legion of Zoom.
The Joker appears in Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010), voiced by
John DiMaggio.[66] During a confrontation with Batman and Robin (
Jason Todd), he beats the latter with a crowbar before leaving him to perish in an explosion. Todd later returns as the
Red Hood to force Batman to kill the Joker, but the Dark Knight refuses to do so and the Joker is returned to Arkham Asylum. Joker also appears in the film's interactive short film sequel Batman: Death in the Family (2020), with DiMaggio reprising his role.
The Joker appears in Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014), set in the Batman: Arkham video game universe, with
Troy Baker reprising his role from Batman: Arkham Origins.[66] When the
Suicide Squad breaks into Arkham Asylum, the Joker reunites with Harley Quinn before activating a bomb hidden in her mallet. Batman deactivates the bomb and the Joker escapes.
The Joker appears in The Lego Batman Movie (2017), voiced by
Zach Galifianakis.[76][66] He ditches all his fellow Gotham criminals, except Harley who's helping him, and gathers an army of villains from the
Phantom Zone to destroy Gotham City, while trying to goad Batman into admitting the Joker is his "greatest enemy".
The Joker appears in DC Super Heroes vs. Eagle Talon (2017), voiced by Ken Yasuda.[77]
The Joker returns in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (2012), voiced by
Christopher Corey Smith. He leads a new group of villains to rob the attendees of an award show, but is defeated by Batman and
Robin and subsequently sent to
Arkham Asylum.
Lex Luthor later breaks the Joker out using "The Deconstructor", a
kryptonite-powered weapon, so that he could aid his plans of becoming
president. To this end, they break into the
Batcave, steal Batman's entire supply of kryptonite, and use it to power a giant Joker robot that can dispense a gas that will convince everyone in Gotham to vote for Lex. However, their plans are foiled by the
Justice League, who destroy the robot and apprehend the Joker and Luthor. After completing the story mode, the Joker is found as an optional boss fight at Ace Chemicals; after defeating him, he is unlocked as a playable character.
Smith reprises his role as the Joker in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (2014). During the story, the Joker joins Lex Luthor's
Legion of Doom to help him become "President of Earth". To this end, they hijack the weapon system of the Justice League's
Watchtower and hold the Earth at ransom, until the League defeats them. Later, the Legion and the League form a temporary alliance to stop
Brainiac, but while the heroes are left occupied with him, the villains abandon them to take over the
White House. After Brainiac is defeated, the League promptly deals with the Legion, sending them to prison. The Joker and Luthor are forced to share a cell with a miniaturized Braniac, but while mocking him, they accidentally break the bottle he was kept in, causing Brianiac to return to normal proportions. The Joker and Luthor are last seen shaking in fear as Brainiac prepares to get his revenge on them.
The Joker is a playable character in Lego Dimensions (2015), voiced again by Smith. In the story mode, he is a member of Lord Vortech's army of villains that face off against the three main heroes (Batman,
Wyldstyle, and
Gandalf) in
Springfield from The Simpsons. The Lego Batman Movie version of the Joker also appears in the story campaign based on the film, voiced by
Dave Wittenberg.
The Joker is a main character in Lego DC Super-Villains (2018), voiced by
Mark Hamill.[93][94] He and
Harley Quinn are first seen breaking into Wayne Tech until Batman captures them, but they are freed when
Green Lantern accidentally throws
Solomon Grundy into the
Batwing. The pair then escape together with Lex Luthor and
Mercy Graves. Later, the Joker recruits the
Riddler,
Scarecrow and
Clayface to retrieve his joy buzzer (and the rest of their equipment) from the
Gotham City Police Department. Their break-in was successful until the Joker's truck crashed into the
Iceberg Lounge, knocking him unconscious. The Joker is arrested and sent to Arkham Asylum, but breaks out with Luthor's help alongside several other villains. Afterward, he works with Clayface, Harley Quinn, and
Sinestro to free
Black Adam from the Gotham City Museum of History's Egyptian exhibit from
Kahndaq. After a
boom tube malfunction caused by Luthor, he, Harley, and the Rookie are transported to
Apokolips, where they encounter
Darkseid at his citadel before being saved by the Justice League. The Joker later travels to
Nanda Parbat with Batman and the
Flash to enlist the help of the
League of Shadows in stopping Darkseid's forces. Following Darkseid's defeat, he escapes the Justice League with the rest of the Legion of Doom regardless of what choice the Rookie makes. The DCAU version of the Joker is also playable via the Batman: The Animated Seriesdownloadable content pack, and serves as the final boss of the level included in the DLC.
In Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009), the Joker takes over
Arkham Island in an elaborate trap set for
Batman. He releases all of the inmates and injects his thugs with the "Titan formula", a more potent version of
Bane's Venom drug, to create an army of genetically-enhanced henchmen. After foiling the other freed villains' agendas, Batman defeats a Titan-enhanced Joker atop Arkham Asylum. In the
PlayStation 3 version of the game, the Joker is a playable character in Challenge Maps where opposing thugs are replaced with Arkham guards.[105][106]
In Batman: Arkham City (2011), the Joker is involved in a gang war with
Two-Face and the
Penguin in Professor
Hugo Strange's new city-sized prison "Arkham City". He infects Batman with his poisoned blood after it is revealed that he is slowly dying as a result of his Titan overdose in Arkham Asylum, thus motivating Batman to find a cure for them both. Despite Batman's best efforts, the Joker ultimately succumbs to the disease. During the credits, he can be heard singing "
Only You (And You Alone)". The Joker also appears in Batman: Arkham City Lockdown.
The prequel Batman: Arkham Origins (2013) features the Joker and Batman's first encounter. On
Christmas Eve, the Joker kidnaps and poses as "
Black Mask" and uses the crime lord's wealth to hire eight
assassins to kill the new vigilante in
Gotham City. After being apprehended by Batman, the Joker shares his past with
Dr. Harleen Quinzel at
Blackgate Prison before escaping and taking over the penitentiary. The Joker then attempts to corrupt Batman by coaxing him into killing Bane but fails and realizes his nemesis is his philosophical opposite, thus beginning his obsession with the Dark Knight. During the credits, he can be heard singing Cold, Cold Heart. The Joker is also a playable character in the game's multiplayer mode.
The Joker appears in Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (2013), where he takes over one of the three main wings of Blackgate Prison alongside the Penguin and Black Mask.
In Batman: Arkham Knight (2015), Batman hallucinates the Joker when the residue of the latter's blood in his system mixes with
Scarecrow's fear toxin, causing the Dark Knight to experience the Joker's memories of
Barbara Gordon's
crippling and
Jason Todd's
torture, manifesting as a form of split personality. The Joker's blood also infects four other individuals; Henry Adams, Johnny Charisma, Christina Bell, and Albert King, each of whom develops aspects of the Joker's personality and appearance. However, Henry Adams kills the other three and then himself when he realizes that Batman is also infected, anticipating that the Joker in Batman will become the "new" Joker. Faced with succumbing to the Joker persona, Batman ultimately breaks free of the Joker's influence when he tricks Scarecrow into injecting his body while the Joker persona is in control, causing the Joker to experience a vision of his own fear of being forgotten by the world. As Batman regains control of himself, he locks the Joker persona away within his mind. During the credits, the Joker can be heard singing Look Who's Laughing Now. He also appears in the Batgirl: A Matter of Family DLC story, depicting a mission set before Arkham Asylum.
At the end of the
PlayStation VR game Batman: Arkham VR (2016), set before Arkham Knight, the Joker takes possession of Batman and murders his loved ones before the entire game is revealed to have been a nightmare in Batman's mind.
An alternate reality version of the Joker appears as a playable character in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.[107] This version was a member of the Suicide Squad before its members were killed in
Brainiac. He additionally sports a prosthetic leg and wields a rocket-powered umbrella.
In Injustice: Gods Among Us, set in an alternate universe, the Joker tricks
Superman into killing
Lois Lane, which detonates a nuclear bomb that destroys
Metropolis, killing millions of its citizens. Driven insane, Superman murders this Joker and forms the Regime to take over Earth. The primary universe's version nearly destroys Metropolis with a nuclear bomb as well, but he is accidentally transported to the Regime universe when the Insurgency versions of Batman and
Lex Luthor bring most of the prime Justice League to their world. The Joker is ultimately defeated by Insurgency Luthor and taken back to the primary universe by prime Batman.
In Injustice 2, while still deceased in the Injustice universe, he appears as a hallucination of
Harley Quinn's created by
Scarecrow's fear gas, though she defeats it and breaks free of the toxin's influence. Outside the storyline, character dialogue indicates that the Joker is either the primary universe iteration, a fear toxin hallucination of the Injustice universe iteration, or that he tricked
Nekron into restoring him to life. After executing
Brainiac in his Arcade ending, the Joker populates Earth with a number of alien civilizations imprisoned in Brainiac's collection, and watches joyfully as chaos unfolds.[108]
The Joker makes his debut in the first season, titled Batman: The Telltale Series.[110]Bruce Wayne meets "John Doe" for the first time as a patient at
Arkham Asylum, who gives Bruce information regarding the Children of Arkham's plans before starting a prison riot. John is among the inmates present during
Lady Arkham's siege of the asylum and is later seen at a bar in
Gotham City watching Bruce/Batman on live television.
The Joker returns in the second season, titled Batman: The Enemy Within.[111] Agency director
Amanda Waller reveals that after being discharged from Arkham, "John Doe" joined a criminal cabal called "The Pact", consisting of the
Riddler,
Bane,
Mr. Freeze,
Catwoman, and John's former psychiatrist Harley Quinn, whom he claims to be in love with. When Riddler nearly jeopardizes their plans, John betrays him by giving Bruce sufficient information to arrest him. John later recruits Bruce into the organization and, after secretly deducing that he is Batman, helps him uncover the group's plan to steal the LOTUS virus from a rogue division of the
Agency called SANCTUS. After Harley betrays the Pact to escape with the virus, John helps Bruce search for her at a defunct carnival and murders several Agency operatives. Bruce confronts John and either retains his trust or shatters their friendship. The former choice results in John helping Bruce to apprehend Harley, while the latter decision leads to John saving Harley and vowing to become Batman's mortal enemy. Adopting the identity of the Joker, John either becomes a ruthless vigilante set on bringing Waller to justice by any means necessary, or transforms into a psychopathic criminal intent on psychologically torturing Bruce. Regardless of the choices the player makes, Batman ultimately defeats Joker and sends him back to Arkham Asylum. He is last seen in his cell being visited by Bruce or vowing to return.
The Joker appears as a guest character in Mortal Kombat 11, with Richard Epcar reprising his role. In contrast to Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe which was toned down to secure a "T"-rating, this incarnation is more violent than his previous depictions.[112][113] In his Arcade ending, the Joker kills
Kronika and several other characters after acquiring Kronika's Hourglass. Feeling lonesome after his victory, the Joker partners with
Havik to form a clique of individuals with a penchant to chaos called the League of Misunderstood Maniacs.[114]
The Joker was included as a playable outfit in Fortnite.[119]
Joker appears as a playable character in SINoALICE, voiced again by Wataru Takagi.[120]
The Joker will appear as a playable character in MultiVersus, voiced again by Mark Hamill.[121]
Theatre
The Joker appears in the 2011 theatrical production Batman Live, portrayed by Mark Frost. He masterminds a plot to defeat Batman by uniting several of the superhero's greatest foes, including
Harley Quinn,
Penguin,
Two-Face,
Riddler,
Poison Ivy, and
Scarecrow.[122][123] The show is an adaptation of the Batman property, drawing inspiration from the 1966 television series, Tim Burton's series of Batman films, and the 1992 animated series, among others.[122][124][125]
Actors
This article is missing information about actors and their portrayal years. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the
talk page.(March 2023)
^Scheimer, Lou; Mangels, Andy (December 15, 2012).
Creating The Filmation Generation. TwoMorrows.
ISBN9781605490441. Retrieved March 22, 2024. Ted Knight was the narrator, plus he played Alfred the Butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the villains. Jane Webb did Batgirl and Catwoman and the other female characters. And I did some of the minor voice work here and there as well, for the first time.
^
abcdefghijklmnopq"Joker Voices (Batman)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 27 June 2015. – green checkmark indicates roles that have been verified by BTVA through closing credits
^Game Informer features a two-page gallery of the many heroes and villains who appear in the game with a picture for each character and a descriptive paragraph. See "LEGO Batman: Character Gallery", Game Informer 186 (October 2008): 93.
^Payne, Alex C. (September 6, 2012).
"Batman Live – Anaheim & Los Angeles – Review." Things to Do Inland Empire. Retrieved October 15, 2015. "The wardrobes included bits and pieces that alluded to each of the Batman epics from the 1990s."