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10 Actors You Probably Didn’t Know Almost Played The Joker

With Suicide Squad now in theatres, we're about to get yet another version of, come on let’s just come out and say it, the most popular villain in all of pop culture (Darth Vader doesn’t count, he eventually went good). Jared Leto joins a long line of esteemed actors to have played Batman’s eternal nemesis the Joker on both the small and silver screens – Jack Nicholson, Cesar Romero, Heath Ledger, Mark Hamill, etc.
This article is over 8 years old and may contain outdated information

7) John Lithgow

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Though previously known for more light-hearted roles in the likes of 3rd Rock from the Sun and Harry and the Hendersons, John Lithgow had something of a career renaissance recently when he gave a terrific performance as the Trinity serial killer on Dexter. Years before that, though, he was asked to play another crazed murderer in Tim Burton’s Batman but turned it down.

In what’s quite funny in hindsight, Lithgow reportedly pulled himself out of the running for the Joker as he did not think the villainous role would suit his particular acting skillset. If he had taken the dive and gone for it though, Lithgow could well have had a very different career where he was known for playing darker roles.  


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Christian Bone
Christian Bone is a Staff Writer/Editor at We Got This Covered and has been cluttering up the internet with his thoughts on movies and TV for over a decade, ever since graduating with a Creative Writing degree from the University of Winchester. As Marvel Beat Leader, he can usually be found writing about the MCU and yet, if you asked him, he'd probably say his favorite superhero film is 'The Incredibles.'