The Dark Knight Trilogy

Nolan: Even Warner Bros. "didn't get" Heath Ledger as The Joker casting for 'The Dark Knight'

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August 4, 2018

On July 31, 2006, Warner Bros. officially announced that Heath Ledger would play The Joker in The Dark Knight. If you were online back then, you remember that the news was met with a ton of backlash from fans. Not unlike the backlash that Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot received when they were cast as Batman and Wonder Woman for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Well it turns out, the fans weren't the only ones who didn't understand why The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan wanted to cast Ledger as The Joker. Warner Bros. didn't get it either! Nolan's brother and Dark Knight Trilogy co-writer, Jonathan Nolan, revealed the news in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

"When I wrote The Dark Knight, Chris [Nolan] had to figure out how we'd tackle the Joker," Nolan explained. "Chris had a good meeting with Heath Ledger. And no one got it — I didn't get it, the studio didn't get it. And the fan community was … we were fucking pilloried for it. "Disaster, worst casting decision ever!" Chris just stuck to his guns. It was a question of not giving the fans what they're asking for but what they want — which is, "Let's find a really fuckin' serious actor, somebody who's going to come in and just tear this role to pieces."

Obviously Heath Ledger as The Joker turned out to be an amazing choice. His performance was talked about as one of the best parts of The Dark Knight, and it earned him a posthumous Oscar win for "Best Supporting Actor".

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter

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93 comments

NinjaGamer13
August 4, 2018
I mean, I thought they would have seen an audition in costume which may have soothed their worries, I guess not?
1. BatmanNewsChris
  August 4, 2018
  I'm assuming this was their reaction when Nolan came to them with the name "Heath Ledger", before any auditions or costume tests.
  1. NinjaGamer13
    August 4, 2018
    Makes sense. I think that was everybodies reaction though. Serves as a good cautionary example to remember actors are generally capable of more than one type of role.
Half life 3 confirmed
August 4, 2018
Amazing performance by Mr. Ledger.
Fréaláf Hildeson
August 4, 2018
Only one person saw it.
https://i.kym-cdn.com/photo...
1. WeHaveNoLivez
  August 4, 2018
  https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
2. dugzino
  August 4, 2018
  Kubrick at his feet? Non-sense...
  1. Francois
    August 5, 2018
    Final scene with two face, and the closure afterwards was one of the most emotional and intense moments within the movie. No Joker there.
  2. That Sexy Mudafaka Is Back!
    August 14, 2018
    That's a joke. No one thinks Nolan, or any other famous filmmaker, is a god. People just show appreciation for them through irony. And your question can be applied to most movies. How is No Country for Old Men a masterpiece if Bordem is the only talked about actor in it?
3. Mike 201
  August 4, 2018
  Then he handed Zack the reigns......
  1. Bob Burger
    August 5, 2018
    We all make mistakes.
Jesse Hernandez
August 4, 2018
I’m startig to think Warner Bros drops the ball multiple times.
1. Thanasis
  August 4, 2018
  WB??? No one at that time but Nolan thought he'd be amazing. It's not WB that almost dropped the ball. It's Nolan who is a genius. Credit to WB for allowing him to do it too.
2. Thomas Guy
  August 5, 2018
  Broke Back Mountain pushed his name into the mainstream and he really killed it in that roll which I think helped get him hired but also contributed to the backlash because of early 2000 homophobia
Kal-El
August 4, 2018
Its hard for comic book movies to win oscars but Heath won best supporting actor and proved the entire world wrong. What a legend.
1. Anon
  August 5, 2018
  I don't think it was really just for the role alone. I think them giving him the Oscar was also for some of his other past roles (since he has been nominated before) and that he was pretty much bound to win one in the future. I don't think they would've given him the Oscar for the role of the Joker if he was alive.
thefallen83
August 4, 2018
And that's why, most of the time, fans need to STFU. :)
1. Chris Wake
  August 5, 2018
  If fans had their way back then, Crispin Glover or Willem Dafoe would have been the Joker. Both fantastic actors in their own right, but completely wrong for This Joker.
OptimistPrime99
August 4, 2018
Some of the fan backlash was from his Brokeback Mountain role. "The sensitive pretty boy can't play the JOker"! Not only did Nolan not give a sh!t, but he also gave the middle finger to the Ace Chemicals origin, had Heath Ledger slap some face paint on like a three-year old, and MADE butthurt fans love it anyway!😂 Providing a fresh new take on an iconic character, that's arguably better than the more "classic" version.
Kristen Wiig is maybe the weirdest comic book casting I've seen so far. But because there aren't any fans emotionally invested in Cheetah, and Patty Jenkins has so much goodwill, the controversy quickly died down. A similar thing happened with Tom Hardy as Bane. And even with Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Other than the BvS movie, there's a LITTLE bit more faith put in the director, than there used to be, pre-Ledger Joker casting. https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
1. Police Android #23
  August 4, 2018
  I am reeeeeeeeeally looking forward to seeing Kristen Wiig take-on Cheetah. She's so much more than her comedy, and it'll be neat to see her stretch her acting more than I've seen.
  1. dugzino
    August 4, 2018
    She's funny but she's a bad actress.
    1. AtleticoT9
      August 4, 2018
      No she's good.
    2. ZaQueerdo
      August 4, 2018
      She was excellent in The Skeleton Twins with Bill Hader.
2. NinjaGamer13
  August 4, 2018
  I don't think the take is better than the classic. I mean...his plan at the end of TDK with the boats was pretty fucking lame. And for someone who doesn't like plans he sure had a complicated one.
  I like the ACE chemicals origin because I think it is interesting that Batman is responsible for creating the Joker.
  1. Batpod4L
    August 4, 2018
    Now I’m concerned that the Phoenix joker movie will make Thomas Wayne responsible for Joker and then joker responsible for Batman instead of joe chill
    1. NinjaGamer13
      August 5, 2018
      Oh god, that would be worse than what Burton did.
  2. Hunter Zolomon
    August 4, 2018
    "And for someone who doesn't like plans he sure had a complicated one." What makes you think he doesn't like plans? He constantly lies in the film so you should never believe anything he says.
3. Mayank Baluni
  August 6, 2018
  but why people backlash nolan's decision? is brokeback mountain was a bad film or ledger performance.. was not good? never saw that movie
Super Gooner
August 4, 2018
WB don't 'get' a lots of things about DC that's for sure
1. Manny
  August 4, 2018
  You didn't get it either, dickhead.
Angel
August 4, 2018
And we're surprised because...?
SJ1986
August 4, 2018
Heath still gives me goose bumps with his performance but his Joker is very distinct and leaves plenty of room for several different incarnations of the Joker. It's by far definitive, which keeps it exciting!!
gonzzCABJ
August 4, 2018
When you have a vision.
BatfleckRules
August 4, 2018
I was one of the ones that didn’t get it... and I still don’t get it today. I agree that he is someone that took the role very seriously but at the end of the day, that’s not really enough for a character like the Joker.
The man has to also naturally fit the character and Heath did not, and to me it shows.
His Joker wasn’t creepy, or intimidating at all even though you can tell he’s trying he just doesn’t have the natural vibe or face to be a good bad guy.
I do think it was a decent performance but way overrated.
1. Geoff
  August 4, 2018
  With a username like that I can see why you wrote this crap
  1. Anthony Soprano
    August 4, 2018
    Indeed Lool
    1. BatfleckRules
      August 4, 2018
      I really love liked Affleck’s Batman must mean I’m a Snyder fanboy right ??
  2. BatfleckRules
    August 4, 2018
    I really liked Ben Affleck’s Batman, must mean I’m a Snyder fanboy right ??
2. Qthetar .
  August 4, 2018
  Are you retarded?
  1. BatfleckRules
    August 4, 2018
    Typical Nolan fanboy to insult ppl that dislike Nolan’s Batman movies
    1. Qthetar .
      August 4, 2018
      Says the Snyder fanboy who never made a great movie.
      1. BatfleckRules
        August 5, 2018
        Lol i laugh at all you guys that call me a snyder fanboy
        MOS - 7/10
        BvS UC - 6/10
        JL - 5/10
        Don’t qualify
3. Thanasis
  August 4, 2018
  Ok, this is the stupidest puke inducing shit I've ever read, "just doesn’t have the natural vibe or face to be a good bad guy.". What kind of drugs are you on? Seriously? Let me guess, Batfleck is a better written Batman than Bale or Keaton and Leto is a misunderstood genius who didn't get enough time to shine, right? Fuck off.
  1. BatfleckRules
    August 4, 2018
    Actually no. Leto is the worst live action Joker of all, imo.
    1. Thanasis
      August 4, 2018
      Ok good, at least you're not completely retarded.
      1. BatfleckRules
        August 4, 2018
        Hahaha wow what a child you are.
        “Someone doesn’t like the same movie as me waaaaah waaaaah waaaaaah”
        WEETARD
      2. Thanasis
        August 4, 2018
        No, a retarded comment makes you retarded it's as simple as that.
      3. BatfleckRules
        August 5, 2018
        ^ That comment is literally so stupid that you just shot yourself in the foot
        😂😂😂
        Don’t ever be a teacher, please, for the children’s sake
      4. Thanasis
        August 5, 2018
        Teacher? Why the fuck would I ever wanna be a teacher?
  2. Flower & Monster & Golden Calf
    August 4, 2018
    Relax, you got caught by a DC troll.
    1. Thanasis
      August 4, 2018
      Nah, nothing's caught. Simply stating the obvious.
      1. BatfleckRules
        August 5, 2018
        You’re so mad that someone doesn’t like Heath Ledgers joker
        Just cool it buddy not everyone is always going to like what you like
      2. Thanasis
        August 5, 2018
        I'm not mad at all. You're reasoning is retarded.
      3. BatfleckRules
        August 5, 2018
        The fact that I didn’t find him scary? That I didn’t find him creepy?
        Is it not fair for me to want that out of a joker performance?
      4. Thanasis
        August 5, 2018
        No because that's not part of the performance. That's a stupid opinion that makes no sense at all considering the reception of the film. Nicholson wasn't scary at all. But he works because he was fun as hell and a great actor.
      5. BatfleckRules
        August 5, 2018
        Hmm that’s not part of the performance so he wasn’t TRYING to act scary ?
        I think he was. And to me, he failed.
        Doesn’t matter what the reception of the film is, I don’t take that into consideration when forming MY opinion.
      6. Thanasis
        August 5, 2018
        But your problem isn't if his action and performance wasn't scary. Your problem is that he didn't look scary. Which is completely idiotic. This is a stupid opinion.
      7. BatfleckRules
        August 5, 2018
        My main point is that I didn’t find his performance scary. I simply pointed out that Heath Ledger doesn’t have a naturally creepy face and that hurt his creep factor but it was not the main reason I disliked Heath.
        With the high pitched, cartoony voice, and how weak they made him, he just didn’t feel threatening.
        He felt like a pathetic wimp incapable of killing a 10 year old girl, let alone numerous adults.
      8. Bartholomew Hunt
        August 5, 2018
        You know you're bullying him for no reason at all. He doesn't think Heath was scary. It's his opinion .Nothing retarded about that.
    2. BatfleckRules
      August 5, 2018
      Oh so I’m a troll now because I don’t like TDK
      Typical Nolan fanboy thing to say.
      Nolan fanboys are definitely predictable
      1. Flower & Monster & Golden Calf
        August 5, 2018
        Checking through your other comments......... check... check....check....
        yup. troll.
      2. BatfleckRules
        August 5, 2018
        Because I disagree with people
      3. BatfleckRules
        August 5, 2018
        Sorry you can’t handle someone’s opinions
        Jesus it’s not even like I said Heath sucked or anything... I said he was good but overrated
        I guess that’s trolling
4. Hermano
  August 5, 2018
  Lol hard at you snyder bot, go fuck yourself SNYDER BOT LOL
  1. BatfleckRules
    August 5, 2018
    Nice try buddy, I was one of the ones happy that Joss Whedon was reshooting JL
    You guys can’t touch me with a ten foot pole as far as “Snyder disses” are concerned.
    Gotta figure out another way
5. BatfleckRules
  August 5, 2018
  Nicholson didn’t play him like a cartoon character. He played him like someone that had lost his marbles
  Which is exactly what the Joker should be. He should be a murderous psychopath but he also needs to have that playful and twisted/dark sense of humour that kind of makes you want to turn yourself inside out.
  Jack Nicholson embraced that poetic, witty, and playful side of the Joker all while maintaining his intimidation and vile qualities that just make you hate the Joker but love him at the same time.
  Heath just wasn’t clever or cunning enough. Sure, Heath had the playful high pitch voice down... but Nicholson proved Joker doesn’t have to have a high pitch voice. It makes him
  more intimidating to have a certain calmness to him and to not sound like a prepubescent teenager.
  If anything, Ledger was the one that sounded felt like a cartoon character as he chose to use a cartoony voice.
  But the writing just wasn’t there for the Joker. Maybe I would’ve liked Heath’s portrayal had they written more memorable scenes for him but I just kept waiting for that super memorable scene from Joker ina TDK but it just never came.
  The scene that came closest was the pencil trick scene at the very start. Every scene he did after paled in comparison and only ever made
  me feel
  slightly engaged. I’m not gonna say he was so boring I fell asleep, he definitely was enough to demand my attention but I kept waiting for those truly clever and entertaining moments that cause movie magic, but all Nolan had Joker do what spout of philosophical crap about anarchy YAWN
  That’s not what Joker is in the comics... Nolan just took Batman way too seriously.
  Yes, Batman should be treated with some level of seriousness and his world can be somewhat grounded but what fun is the Joker when he is just some typical psychotic dude?
  Without the dark humour, the over the top moments and gags you’re just left with a generic shell of what the Joker is actually supposed to be.
  It’s comic books, it’s fun, it’s crazy, it’s over the top, it’s unrealistic but that is what it’s supposed to be!
  Marvel understands this far better than Nolan ever did and it’s why Marvel’s leading the charge on how to craft a comic book movie today... and Nolan’s style has kinda died
  it was just no fun
  On a side note, I do have to agree with you that Ledger was definitely the strongest part of TDK. If the overall film structure had been a little less all over the place, more streamlined and just generally more of a well paced, simpler film that didn’t take itself so seriously I may not be so harsh on poor old Heath. What I say is not meant to disrespect him, and as I say, I can even admit it was a “good” performance at the very least. I just don’t think he had many memorable moments in the film, and that very likely could be more the writers’ faults that Heath’s because at the end of the day, if I didn’t enjoy the movie or the story very much, than naturally I think it’s fair to say I wouldn’t enjoy Heath’s performance as much either.
  1. BatfleckRules
    August 5, 2018
    I think Joaquin Phoenix will top Ledger.... majority probably won’t admit it
    But I can definitely see Joaquin being a real creeper. If you look at his face you can really see how with make up they could pull off a real scary looking Joker. He’s got the perfect nose for it.
    Looks aside tho, I can see some like Joaquin Phoenix killing it as a bad guy
    1. BatfleckRules
      August 5, 2018
      As long as they primarily manage to make the Joker seem intimidating, and threatening again I’ll be happy.
      That was my problem with Heath... he just never felt like a threat... he was entertaining to watch... but I never got a
      feeling of dread watching him on sceeen because his motivations were always so calculated and complex.
      It was all about proving a message rather than him just being a totally unpredictable loose cannon.
      For example, at the party, after Batman whoops Jokers ass big time, he never felt threatening anymore because he was so absolutely pathetic the way he gets his ass handed to him and he’s just crawling around on the floor.
      He shows up to the party fails to kill a single person, gets his ass handed to him by Batman and then apparently just leaves the party?
      This is the Clown Prince of Crime were
      talking about.. I would’ve written that party scene VERY DIfferently and Joker would’ve been a hell of a lot scarier in my version.
      He has to have that unpredictable, take a life without thinking twice kinda vibe to him to feel truly scary. Like at any minute he could just snap and gun somebody down on the spot just for looking at him the wrong way, or even just for a laugh/his own entertainment.
  2. Oreole
    August 5, 2018
    "If anything, Ledger was the one that sounded felt like a cartoon character as he chose to use a cartoony voice."
    Ledger didn't use a cartoony voice. He merely used a more high-pitched voice somewhat inspired by Alex Delarge from ClockWork Orange. Nicolson felt like the loonier one to me. if not in his voice, then by his actions and how he behaved.
    "That’s not what Joker is in the comics... Nolan just took Batman way too seriously."
    There is no definitive Joker. Like Batman, he's a very versatile character that has had many incarnations over the years and I like a fresh take every once in a while. Rather than something redundant. Just because it isn’t the comics doesn’t make it any less good. Movies based on pre-existing source material always have the potential to expand and improve upon the source material.
    I can sort of see why you would have this criticism though I would Batman has had many different tones in the comics. There's Batman comics that are much darker than even the Nolan films.
    But I laugh at you using Marvel as an golden example for how Batman should be done. Just no. Batman and most of Marvel are very different beasts.
ZaQueerdo
August 4, 2018
It's why fans should keep an open mind. Sometimes the out of left field choices end up bad (Jesse Eisenberg), but they can also yield real gems like this. I wish people wouldn't get so hung up on whether or not the actor looks like the comic character or played a similar role in the past; I still remember being a kid and seeing everyone on the message boards pissed off because they didn't cast Crispin Glover as the Joker.
Hunter Zolomon
August 4, 2018
One of the greatest performances to grace films frankly, he was incredible and deserved every award and praise he got and still gets.
Kryptonian Knight
August 4, 2018
Fans freaked out when Ledger was cast... Fans freaked out when Daniel Craig was cast.. Fans freaked out when Ben Affleck was cast... The moral of the story is trust the professionals who are really good at what they do and get paid for it before trusting the fans, especially the emotional hemophiliacs of comics fandom. Ledger is the first actor that made me take the Joker seriously, everybody else just made me laugh.
1. Kerk Lastnameless
  August 4, 2018
  Not all casting that seems obviously bad turns out to be secretly brilliant. More often, it just turns out bad.
  1. Kryptonian Knight
    August 5, 2018
    None of the examples I used were obviously bad, Affleck is the living embodiment of a tall, dark and handsome Bruce Wayne.
    1. Bartholomew Hunt
      August 5, 2018
      Affleck could be a very good Batman with a better script and better director and ... less fat .
      1. Kryptonian Knight
        August 5, 2018
        you obviously do not know what the definition of fat is. Don’t confuse padding to fatness because it just makes you look dumb.
        https://m.youtube.com/watch...
      2. Bartholomew Hunt
        August 5, 2018
        Lol ,look at JL .He's fat as fuck. The padding was indeed too much regardless.
      3. Kryptonian Knight
        August 5, 2018
        Instead of typing false opinions why don’t you try using factual evidence to make an argument? Please show us where in JL was Ben Affleck shirtless and his body looking fat.
      4. FUN
        August 6, 2018
        Just upload a gif of the shower scene from the extended cut. And for extra measure, add another gif of the shower scene from gone girl.
2. Kryptonian Knight
  August 5, 2018
  People weren’t freaking out about Leto when he was first cast, the majority were excited. The tide started to change when his first pictures came out and performance, bad example.
  1. Kryptonian Knight
    August 5, 2018
    “I didn’t say people were freaking out about Leto’s casting...” yet you use him in a sentence with other actors were people were? Run for office man, you’ll fit right in. And the majority did not, they were excited to have an Oscar winner who has the acting chops but don’t let that get in the way of your opinion.
    1. Kryptonian Knight
      August 5, 2018
      Not cherry picking at all, just stating the facts as they are. Anybody who doesn’t think Ben Affleck is the embodiment of a tall, dark and handsome Bruce Wayne or the imposing and physically intimidating Batman is disqualified from the conversation, especially when compared to the likes of Michael Keaton. “Who’s freaking out about Momoa?” A multitude of guys like Reverse Flash who come on here regularly and complain about a Polynesian being Aquaman. Anyone asking that doesn’t pay attention to the Aquaman posts here. I specifically said that the support for Leto was positive prior to his costume look and you choose a trailer as a counter to the argument?! Not very quick on the uptake are you? Lol
      1. Kryptonian Knight
        August 5, 2018
        Then stop responding to my threads and you won’t have a problem. If you actually think there is only two people on this blog and other sites that is against Momoa being Aquaman and that he should have been Lobo instead then you are delusional and explains why you think the way you do lol.
      2. Kryptonian Knight
        August 5, 2018
        That’s an irrelevant opinion on the subject of fans freaking out repeatedly and being proved wrong but I guess that’s what happens when the ignorant run out of bullets.
      3. Kryptonian Knight
        August 5, 2018
        Awesome! One less turd to not step on.
Nahuel Benvenuto
August 5, 2018
You should never give the audience what it wants but what it needs, that is good filmmaking.
Thomas Guy
August 5, 2018
And his performance will easily go down as one of the best comic book movie performances.
Light PK
August 5, 2018
Heath Ledger's Joker is best Joker of all time and forever.
Sense
August 5, 2018
Damn you Ambien !!!! And all other GD opioids currently destroying people
Kara
August 5, 2018
Meh, Nicholson and Romero were better.
1. Brione
  August 5, 2018
  And Mark Hamill is the best
Brione
August 5, 2018
Heath Ledger was actually the perfect choice for Nolan's "realistic" Joker. Nolan's Joker was absolutely nothing at all like the comic book Joker, so they chose an actor who was nothing like people thought he should be. It's a damn good thing that the script was awesome and that Ledger gave the performance of his career. I love the movie and I love Ledger's take on Joker, but he wasn't the Joker that's in the comics.
Antonio Melendez
November 28, 2022
I remember when I first heard about this in 2006 i was a little surprised but I'd always like Heath and after Memento,Insomnia and Batman Begins(still my favorite Batman movie) Nolan was one of my favorite directors and that's what made trust his casting choice...i love when actors/actresses are cast that are out of the ordinary and completely unexpected cuz many times they end up doing a great job much like Daniel Craig and how people had their pitchforks ready when they heard he was cast as Bond but then he completely knocks out of the park in what's still my all time favorite Bond Movie, Casino Royale

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This is an archive of Batman-News.com from 2010 to 2025. For the latest news, check out BatmanNews.com