Legacy of the Dark Knight Confirms Joker’s New Origin Story

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The Joker’s appearance will be slightly different in the upcoming LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight game, and that was intentional. Instead of being based on a single Batman story, the new game from TT Games celebrates the entirety of Batman’s history across comics, movies, and more. Because of this, some villains, including the Joker – who appears frequently throughout Batman’s adventures – have been redesigned for the game, leading to a lot of discussion about how he’ll look.

Promotional materials for the upcoming LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight game show that it will include two versions of the Joker: Jack Nicholson’s portrayal from the 1989 Batman film and Heath Ledger’s from The Dark Knight. According to Jonathan Smith, the game’s lead developer, this isn’t just a random choice – the Joker will undergo a character arc alongside Batman, evolving throughout the story.

Smith shared that the movie covers a long period of time, and that it will reveal some of the Joker’s backstory, giving fans a peek into his origins.

This game spans several years, and as you play as Bruce and explore Gotham, you’ll build up his network of allies – the Bat-family. Throughout this journey, Bruce himself will change, and you’ll also discover the origins of the Joker, learning how he became the iconic villain we all know.

Throughout DC Comics history, the Joker’s backstory has been told in many ways. Fans wondered which version of his origin the new LEGO Batman 4 game would use. It appears the developers at TT Games are taking an interesting approach: they’ll be featuring different versions of the Joker from various points in his life, choosing the one that best fits the current moment in the game’s story.

Smith explained that the story will draw from important events in the Joker’s film history, specifically referencing key scenes from the 1989 Batman movie and The Dark Knight trilogy.

We’ll then show pivotal moments, like his fall into the ACE chemicals vat and a later fall from a great height, mirroring Jack Nicholson’s fall in the 1989 Batman film. As the story of Batman unfolds, we’ll also see his transformation into a character capable of the bold and surprising actions seen in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy.

Early looks at the LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight game suggest it will show how the Joker first became a villain. The game seems to start with his origins as the Red Hood, a character from older comics. From there, the story appears to follow his evolution into the Joker portrayed by Jack Nicholson in the 1989 film, and then into the version famously played by Heath Ledger.

According to Smith, the game will explore key events in the Joker’s life to show his complete character development, rather than featuring different versions of the Joker. It will do the same for Batman, weaving together highlights from his history in comics, films, and other games into one unified story. Players will be able to choose from a range of Batman suits to customize their experience.

As a big fan, I really appreciate the direction they’re taking with the Joker in this new LEGO Batman game. It’s clever how they’re using the Red Hood storyline – it feels like a nod to the Joker’s original comic book beginnings, and it actually connects nicely with Jack Nicholson’s Joker and that iconic chemical plant scene from the first Batman movie! Since Heath Ledger’s Joker kept his past a mystery, it makes sense they’re building towards revealing the LEGO Joker’s origin later on, and that whole ‘fall from a great height’ thing seems like a perfect way to link him to that earlier version. It’s a really thoughtful approach to the character.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on May 29, 2026.

How Many Jokers Will LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Have?

It looks like the new LEGO Batman game, Legacy of the Dark Knight, will feature at least three different versions of the Joker throughout its story. The big question now is: how much of the Joker’s life and criminal history will the game cover?

Over the years, several actors have portrayed the Joker. Mark Hamill is well-known for voicing the character in many animated projects and the Batman Arkham video games. Jared Leto played the Joker briefly in the DC Extended Universe, appearing in Suicide Squad and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for his role in Joker, and he’s reprising the part in the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux. These films are often seen as separate from the main DC storyline.

In a recent interview, Smith revealed that the upcoming LEGO Batman game will explore the entire history of the Batman franchise. This includes content related to Zack Snyder’s films featuring Ben Affleck as Batman. Because of this, Jared Leto’s version of the Joker could appear as an antagonist alongside Affleck’s Batman in a portion of the game. The developers haven’t ruled out including other versions of the Joker, such as Joaquin Phoenix’s, either.

The Joker is a standout character in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. While he isn’t playable at the start of the game, he’ll be added as part of the Mayhem Collection add-on, bringing his unique abilities, combat moves, and gadgets to players.

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2026-03-02 18:35