With the release of ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’, Mumbai superfans explain why Batman’s nemesis is more than a villain

One of the most awaited comic-book movies of the year ‘‘Joker: Folie a Deux' was released this week. With the resounding success of Joker (2019), fans have had a lot of hope. It is close to two decades from when Anurag Sharma, a Mumbai fan, was first introduced to Joker. Being from Generation Z, or Gen-Z, as they are popularly known, he shares, "I first saw Jack Nicholson as the Joker in Batman (1989). It was in 2006 when I started exploring the films after watching Batman Begins (2005)." After that, he did not look back. "My fondest memory came through the television cartoon show called ‘Batman', the animated series. I watched it in 2007, and I remember it like yesterday." Sharma is one of many fans in the city, who like Batman, but may love Joker more than many other DC Comics fans.

For the longest time, the larger-than-life character of Batman has overshadowed Joker in cinema by limiting him to being the villain in the films over many decades. However, things changed when Joker got his movie in 2019. Everything that followed was poetic not only for Joaquin Phoenix, who played the titular character as Arthur Fleck and won the Oscar the following year, but also for fans, who till then were talking about Batman's arch nemesis only in comic book circles. It probably gave them the limelight to discuss their fascination with Joker's character in the open and be proud of the ‘nerd mode' they went into, every time somebody broached the topic of Joker.

He explains, "The whole chaotic villain and a badass hero concept was still new to me and Joker from that series had some amazing jokes, disturbing plans and was a pure menace," shares Sharma, adding, "It got me into reading comics and then I finally got to watch Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker and that remains one of my favourite incarnations of the clown prince." The fact that he is mysterious and wants to prove a point because he has an ideological conflict with Batman, makes him interesting.

While the 1989 film was the peak of Millennial fandom, Batman was already popular before that and the love for the comic book character has trickled down to generations of hardcore fans. This was long before the villain got his movie with Joker in 2019, played by Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck. Ever since then, it would be right to say that Joker fans have been more pronounced in pop culture than ever before because not only does their favourite character get the due credit but even most of them would feel seen for their love for the character that starts with the comics but extends to the films.

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Love for Joker
So, what is it that fans like Sharma love about Joker so much? He explains, "I like his pure villain antics and the fact that all he wants is to prove his point to Batman and he doesn't care about the cost. The recent media has tried to take that and give purpose to the Joker, I don't like that. The whole point of this character has been causing menace after menace until the hero finally breaks his moral code. Joker doesn't care about stakes and the funny part is that the only thing that makes him sad is when Batman ignores him. There has never been a hero-villain arc where the villain almost loves the hero like that."

Being such a huge fan, the 23-year-old isn't more than your average DC fan who relies solely on the portrayal of Joker in the movies. He further adds, "My favourite portrayal is from the Arkham games, which sees the whole Joker-Batman feud go to an extreme and meet a bittersweet end." Beyond Heath's Joker, he says Nicholson's character is a gangster, Joaquin's Joker is like an entirely different character, and Leto's tries to be a psycho but tries too hard. "I think Joaquin is a brilliant actor. He can play the Joker well, but the Joker doesn't need the 1976 film Taxi Driver-like portrayal that was shown. He is more than that," adds Sharma, who is hoping that they don't take off from the Taxi Driver version and are inventive. "It will be great if they derive more from comics though. It is a great concept overall. Joker and Harley Quinn are born to be in a musical and who better to play Harley Quinn in a musical than Lady Gaga? I'm pretty excited for the movie," he adds.

Portrayal of Joker in films
At a time when fans are often disappointed about the portrayal of their favourite book characters in films, ask him if justice has been done to the character and he says it is always going to be challenging. He explains, "Joker is one of those characters whose translation to live-action medium is very tricky. He's psychologically insane and his state of mind cannot be understood and if shown how horrific he is, the movie or show will end up getting banned. Given these limitations, I think he has been portrayed well." However, he says there is scope to do better. "I believe the new Batman trilogy by Matt Reeves has the potential to do it and then there's a new James Gunn DCU, so all I can say is we'll have to see. There's a lot of stories that can be told and there's a lot that can be shown, the question is are we as an audience ready for it, and is the studio willing to take the risk?"

On the other hand, Mohit Ghorawat, another Mumbaikar believes otherwise, as he has seen over time. He reasons, "From the comic books to the films, I feel justice has been done especially with Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix. They have added a lot of depth to the character, portraying him not just as a villain but as a symbol of chaos and society's darker side." It is also why he is excited to watch the film and hopes that it will build on the previous film. "With Joaquin Phoenix as an Oscar winner and Lady Gaga, an Oscar nominee, the expectations are high. I hope it builds on the depth of the first film and delivers something unsettling," he adds.

Unlike Sharma, Ghorawat came across Joker for the first time in The Dark Knight (2008), the second film in the ‘The Dark Knight' trilogy, directed by Christopher Nolan. While the first one was Batman Begins, the last one was ‘The Dark Knight Rises' (2012). "That film made a lasting impression on me, showcasing Joker's chaos and unpredictability. It opened up a fascination with the character," he explains. Ever since then, he has liked many different aspects of Joker's character as he continues to watch the films. "Joker's unpredictability and chaotic nature are what make him fascinating. His drive fuelled by disorder, not power, makes him terrifying. His movie portrayals, especially in ‘The Dark Knight' and ‘Joker', capture his complex, anarchic essence perfectly," he adds.

It is also why he believes the last movie has changed the way people perceive Joker. "With ‘Joker', the character finally stepped out of Batman's shadow. The film gave us a deep dive into his psyche, showcasing that he is more than just a villain, he's a character strong enough to carry his own story." Even he says that the 23-year-old city-based student agrees with Sharma, saying that Heath Ledger is undoubtedly his favourite portrayal of the character. "Ledger's performance in ‘The Dark Knight' was iconic. It was intense, unpredictable, and terrifying. For the future, I think Javier Bardem could bring a fresh take with his dark, complex portrayals," he opines.

While Ghorawat and Sharma love the portrayals of Joker by Ledger and Phoenix, even Neil Lopez, another city-based Joker fan is torn between the two and says it is hard to pick one from the other. While Lopez says it is impossible to talk about Joker without a shoutout to Mark Hamill; unsurprisingly, Hamill is also Sharma's favourite, across his work in the animated series. For the uninitiated, the American actor was the voice actor for Joker for the longest time before he retired citing the death of Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman opposite him, in 2022.

As if great minds think alike, they want Joker to be played by one very famous actor in the future. Lopez expresses, "Willem Dafoe comes to mind as the next Joker. The man has the face and the acting chops to pull it off so let us wait and see." As if on cue, Sharma adds, "His work as Green Goblin has been equally menacing and I believe he can show us a side of Joker that has never been done before." While he agrees about dream casting, he adds, "We might never see it but his Joker against Robert Pattinson's Batman would have been the best Batman movie to date. I think others who can also work in the role are Johnny Depp, Tom Hiddleston, Jim Carrey, Adam Driver, even Christian Bale would be fun to see, and after Game of Thrones, Iwan Rheon, who plays Ramsay Bolton."

Superfans of Joker
While Ghorawat is more about the essence of the character and doesn't have as much paraphernalia, Sharma says he has been collecting Batman and Joker-related stuff for a long time. He explains, "I collect all kinds of merchandise. It runs in my family because these characters are timeless. I got my first collectible comic book when I was 10, and it was the original publication of ‘Death in the Family', when it first came out. That showed me the world around Batman and how far Joker can go. Since then, I have collected all the major publications. I am proud of my collection. My room is full of posters of pop culture and that is mostly Batman and his rogue gallery. I have also started collecting figurines recently."

It is no different with 34-year-old Lopez, who is a city-based lawyer by day, who has had a lot of action figures growing up and continues to have them to this day. Such is his fandom that the Mumbaikar remembers the first time he got hooked to Batman. He reminisces, "My earliest memories are from the acclaimed ‘Batman: The Animated Series' that would run on Cartoon Network back in the day. Thats how my generation was exposed to the Batman character. My dad also had a couple of comics that stoked my interest. One of my favourite memories is seeing Michael Keaton's Batman from 1989. A live action Batman film? I couldn't fathom it, and Danny Elfman's score is just the icing on the cake adding complimenting the gritty gothic theme of the film."
It was his earliest introduction to the Joker character but one that he believes has more intrigue than any other because of how it is so multi-layered and fascinating. "Apart from the homicidal clown mastermind we all know, what I truly love is that his origin story is still shrouded in mystery. This gives the writers the freedom to spin multiple storylines from his blurred past. To quote the Joker's line from Alan Moore's novel ‘The Killing Joke', ‘Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another ...if I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice', shares Lopez, verbatim.

In the time he has been a fan, Lopez agrees with Ghorawat and Sharma, even though they come from different generations, about how it is difficult to portray the character on screen. "The Joker isn't easy to portray on the big screen. Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix's stellar performances are a testament to that fact, I'm not sure about Jared Leto. It is intriguing to see each actor's take on the character and what they bring to the table."

While Lopez believes the Joker has always had a cult following as one of the best-written characters, he does believe the recent spotlight of seeing him on screen in live-action films has bolstered his popularity. "The standalone movies are a great start, and the character has so much potential. Hopefully, Hollywood doesn't make a mess of the franchise in the long run," adds the Mumbaikar, who is very excited about the film. While he isn't sure how the musical thriller ‘Joker: Folie a Deux' will turn out he does know that Joaquin Phoenix is going to knock it out of the park again.

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