Willem Dafoe may have been associated with the Green Goblin character for over 20 years now, but the Marvel actor has also been on the fans' radar when it comes to potential Joker actors. Of course, the actor's menacing presence easily makes him a prime candidate for the part and it's somehow baffling that DC never considered him to play the iconic antagonist.
Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Spider-Man: No Way Home and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom star revisited his Joker idea that never came to fruition. When asked if he'd consider playing the notorious Batman villain in live-action, Dafoe jokingly responded: "Hasn't that been done?"
He would then share his idea of playing an "imposter" of the Clown Prince of Crime, potentially alongside Joaquin Phoenix's version of the character. Dafoe said: "I floated an idea a while ago, but it didn't quite happen. I thought it would be cool for me to play an imposter, like slipstreaming his thing. But we're doing other things."
Check out his interview below:
Also Read: Willem Dafoe Expresses Interest to Play Joker Opposite Joaquin Phoenix
To be fair, Dafoe's Joker pitch is quite compelling but obviously, Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios have different plans for the character. That's not to say though that his chances of ever playing Mistah J in live-action have been dashed completely, especially now that the DC Universe is set to hit the reset button on the franchise.
With the rumors of his Aquaman co-star Jason Momoa getting recast as Lobo in the new DCU, maybe James Gunn and Peter Safran can find a way for Vulco to become Joker. I'd definitely pay to see that happen.
Meanwhile, Joker: Folie à Deux is set for theatrical release on October 4, 2024.
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