The Joker is undeniably the most high-profile villain gig in the world of comic book movies. The role has the power to turn a respectable actor into a legend, like it did for Heath Ledger. It can also seriously hurt an Oscar-winning performer’s career, though. Just ask Jared Leto.
The stakes are definitely high every time anyone agrees to take on the part. But that being said, Joaquin Phoenix isn’t worried. In his own words, here’s what he had to say in a recent interview about it:
“All I can do is approach the character the way I do and that’s it. I just tried to do something that we felt was honest and unique. However you guys want to talk about it, knock yourself out.”
Clearly, he’s come a long way since initially being fearful to join the movie. Given the early reactions to the film though, it sounds like Phoenix shouldn’t be troubled at all. People are calling this the best performance of the 44-year-old’s career. Comparisons are being made to The Dark Knight and some even feel that the movie is guaranteed to earn the actor his fourth Academy Award nomination, potentially even sending him home with the golden statue for the first time.
Now this, of course, doesn’t mean the flick is destined for success. There have been plenty other high-profile features that ended up disappointing fans big time upon release. Remember Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice? Still, all this praise definitely bodes well for the ambitious project and its leading man.
It’s also a good thing that Phoenix doesn’t care how people rank his performance in comparison to the others. Aside from Leto’s wacky take on the character, almost every other rendition is considered an all-timer. Everyone has their personal favorite, but it’s hard to list them in order considering how good almost all of them are.
Regardless, fans should certainly be excited about the movie. Phoenix has the potential to make this another classic to remember forever. And we’ll see if he can manage to do just that when Joker hits theaters on October 4th.
