Top 10 Actors That Could Play The New Joker

Rising to prominence in 2013’s “We're the Millers,” Poulter proved that he could certainly make the audience laugh, which is an essential trait for the Joker. With some of his subsequent roles, Poulter also showcased a genuinely intimidating onscreen presence. He played an unhinged young man struggling to maintain control in “The Maze Runner”, and chilled the audience to the core as a racist police officer in “Detroit.” The fact that Poulter is only in his early twenties would make the Joker’s heinous actions even more shocking, calling Harvey Miguel Robinson and other young serial killers to mind. Poulter’s eyebrows alone are enough to send a shiver up anyone’s spine.

In the past, Caucasian actors have traditionally portrayed the Man Who Laughs. Much like the idea of Idris Elba as James Bond or Donald Glover as Spider-Man, however, Lakeith Stanfield as the Joker has a nice ring to it. On the small screen, this African American rapper has turned in consistently hilarious work as Darius in “Atlanta.” He’s shined on the silver screen with dramatic roles in “Short Term 12,” “Straight Outta Compton,” and “Crown Heights.” Stanfield even asked Martin Scorsese if he could play the Joker on Twitter. Given his impressive acting range, we’re confident that he could create something utterly unique while still staying true to the character we know and love.

Will Poulter was originally set to star as Pennywise in 2017’s “It,” but the role ultimately went to Bill Skarsgård. Since this Swedish actor has already earned rave reviews for playing one demented clown, he would be a natural choice to play the Joker. To an extent, Skarsgård’s portrayal of Pennywise parallels the late Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning turn as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.” Both were tasked with playing some of the most celebrated villains in popular culture. Yet, each actor managed to deliver a performance that was not only frightening, but fresh too. On top of that, Skarsgård has proven his worth in other creepy projects like “Hemlock Grove.”

This adaptable actor has played a wide range of characters in tune with the Joker’s colorful personality. Dano gave an over-the-top dual performance as twin brothers Eli and Paul Sunday in “There Will Be Blood.” As Brian Wilson in “Love & Mercy,” he authentically portrayed a young artist suffering from Bipolar disorder. In “Prisoners,” he kept the audience guessing as a mentally handicapped man that may be responsible for a kidnapping. Dano’s also no stranger to comedy, having starred in “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Ruby Sparks.” Above all else, Dano knows how to play a character that’s either crazy, going crazy, or thinks he’s going crazy. Just watch his bizarre work in “Swiss Army Man.”

Tom Hiddleston has solidified his place in comic book movie history through his performance as Loki in the MCU. As far as villains go, Loki couldn’t be further away from the Joker in some respects. One literally has the power of a god while the other has no powers whatsoever. At the same, the two also have a fair deal in common. Both are diabolical tricksters that are always a step ahead of their enemies, sinisterly smiling with glee as they wreak havoc. Hiddleston could not only bring out these qualities as the Joker, but also incorporate a certain degree of class and style that some grittier interpretations of the character lacked.

He might not be a household name, but this actor and musician has numerous credentials that would make him a qualified Joker. For starters, he’s already dipped his toes into the superhero genre, playing Banshee in “X-Men: First Class.” As one of the main antagonists in “Get Out,” Jones shifted between being hauntingly uncomfortable and flat-out psychotic, demonstrating just how menacing he could be. Jones continued his creepy streak as Amanda Seyfried’s husband in “Twin Peaks” and is set to star in the 2018 mystery, “Welcome the Stranger.” Furthermore, he simply looks the part with his pale skin, red lips, and untamable hair. It’s as if this guy was literally born to play the Joker.

It’s hard to think of a character more sadistic than the Joker… except for maybe Ramsay Bolton. Although Iwan Rheon initially gained attention for playing Simon Bellamy in “Misfits,” it was his role on “Game of Thrones” that skyrocketed him into popularity. Rheon did a phenomenal job at making the audience despise Ramsay with every despicable action he committed, which included rape, castration, and murder. What’s more, the Bastard of Bolton did all of this with a slimy smile on his face. Just slap some makeup on Rheon and we’d have no trouble seeing him as the Joker. DC should snatch him up, especially since Marvel’s “Inhumans” isn’t getting the best reviews.

Another actor that’s known for playing a Marvel villain, Willem Dafoe brought the Green Goblin out of the comics and onto the big screen. Having nailed it as Spider-Man’s archenemy, he’s perfectly tailored to portray the Dark Knight’s greatest nemesis. Before Jack Nicholson came along, Dafoe was actually considered to play the Joker in Tim Burton’s “Batman.” With his naturally eerie voice and devious smile, writer Sam Hamm noted that Dafoe just looked like the character. Granted, Dafoe as the Joker might confuse some audiences, since he’s set to play Nuidis Vulko in “Justice League” and “Aquaman.” Of course, the fact that we’re getting a Joker movie separate from the DCEU is already pretty confusing.

Jake Gyllenhaal is a very charming actor, but people sometimes forget that he’s played some incredibly strange and unsettling characters over the years. In one of his breakthrough roles, Gyllenhaal managed to be disturbing while also being likable as troubled teen Donnie Darko. He kept us all at the edge of our seats as the seemingly soulless Lou Bloom in “Nightcrawler.” Interestingly enough, Gyllenhaal already has a few ties to the Batman franchise. His sister Maggie appeared in “The Dark Knight” and his “Brokeback Mountain” co-star was of course the Joker. Since Gyllenhaal can also be a convincing nice guy, we’d totally buy him as a wide-eyed innocent that snaps after just one bad day.


Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

André Holland


Finn Wittrock


Glenn Howerton

Leonardo DiCaprio has starred in various other Martin Scorsese projects. So it’s not entirely surprising that he’s reportedly Warner Bros.’ top candidate to play the Joker. Much like Gyllenhaal, DiCaprio is an actor that can play both good guys and bad guys, which would come in handy if this origin story were to take a few pages from “The Killing Joke.” DiCaprio dominated the screen as the villainous Calvin J. Candie in “Django Unchained.” He also wrestled with his own sanity as Teddy Daniels in “Shutter Island.” While nothing is set in stone yet, Warner Bros. should book this Oscar-winning actor for the role ASAP… or else the joke is on them.