Joaquin Phoenix Met With Christopher Nolan Over The Dark Knight's Joker Role

As a seasoned gamer with a knack for cinematic lore, I can’t help but reflect upon the intriguing tale of Joaquin Phoenix and his near-encounter with the Joker. Having witnessed the mesmerizing performance of Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, I find myself pondering what could have been had Phoenix donned the infamous clown suit instead.


Joaquin Phoenix, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of the Joker in a movie, shared that he had a chance to play this iconic character in another Batman film directed by Christopher Nolan. In a recent conversation, Phoenix disclosed that he discussed playing the Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’ released in 2008, but eventually didn’t land the part.

In an extended conversation with Rick Rubin about the sacred name Tetragrammaton, Phoenix touched upon numerous subjects, including his encounter with Christopher Nolan and his initial desire to portray the legendary Batman villain. Yet, he eventually acknowledged that the role didn’t suit him properly.

The actor shared that he once had a conversation with Chris Nolan concerning “The Dark Knight,” but for some reason, the meeting didn’t occur. He admitted that at the time, he wasn’t prepared to take on the role. He went on to say that it was as if there was something within him preventing him from doing it, and it wasn’t about his personal abilities. Instead, another individual will step up to perform the task. (paraphrased from Deadline)

At that time, it was Heath Ledger, who was 26 years old and had just received an Oscar nomination for his role in Brokeback Mountain. In the summer of 2006, he was cast for a role, which unfortunately came after his untimely death in January 2008 due to an accidental overdose. Despite passing away before the movie’s premiere, his performance earned him numerous awards during the award season, including a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor – a historic first for an acting Oscar in a comic book film.

Phoenix expressed that he had a sense of doubt about doing it, but Nolan might have felt the same way, saying, “‘He’s not the one.'” Phoenix continued, “It’s hard to envision how The Dark Knight would have turned out without Heath Ledger’s incredible performance in that film.

2019’s Joker brought Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar and grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide. On the other hand, the criticized follow-up to Joker is set for home release, having only been in theaters for about two months.

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2024-10-29 21:40