Will Joaquin Phoenix eclipse Heath Ledger’s Joker?

I’m going to make a speculation surrounding the Joker movie coming out in 2019.

This isn’t a speculation about what I think what the story will follow, or even what the quality of the film will be. There’s been enough of that speculation running around the rumor mills of social media to feed a small village of DC spoiler addicts for years.

This is the only speculation I will make: I think Phoenix’s performance will eclipse Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight.

When Christopher Nolan cast Heath Ledger as the Joker – the most iconic comic book villain of all time – I was immediately skeptical. I thought Ledger was a good actor. I’d seen him in a few films, but, like many, I was wary of him being capable of pulling off such a character. Thankfully, I was wrong. He’s still the best villain portrayed in comic book films (sorry Thanos), so know that I make this speculation as one who holds the late Ledger’s performance in the highest regard.

I have three reasons that make me think Phoenix will rise to the occasion.

Like Ledger, Phoenix is a method actor.

Method acting can be dangerous. Unfortunately, it has taken many aspiring actor’s lives, including that of Ledger’s. But there’s no denying that when a method actor such as Daniel Day-Lewis, Christian Bale, or Johnny Depp (when he’s not chumming it up with his pal Burton in one of his latest abominations), you are watching performances that surpass most others. And Phoenix is no different. He’s able to just as easily step into the role of a sociopath in Gladiator, as a jaded, drunk, country music singer in Walk the Line.

Todd Phillips has grown immensely as a writer and director.

Todd Phillips continues to grow as a writer and director. The comedy in War Dogs and the Hangover trilogy far surpasses any quips or situational humor found in Road Trip or his other early 2000s comedies. As with Adam McKay, Phillips has moved from a point-and-shoot director to one whose films increase in quality with each successive release.  And Phillips’ has improved his ability to balance comedic timing with touching, thoughtful moments in his latest films. His type of filmmaking fits right in with the Joker. The Joker as a character has the ability to make me both laugh at one moment, then reel back in horror at his sadistic tendencies, the next. So having a filmmaker who can do both comedic and serious scenes in the same film is a huge plus.

Phoenix has only gotten better with age.

We’re going to veer back to Phoenix for the final point. Joaquin Phoenix is a phenomenal actor. He’s garnered a litany of accolades over his more than 30 year acting career; like wine, he’s only gotten better with age. And his latest performance as a brutal killer of human traffickers in Lynn Ramsay’s latest hauntingly beautiful, You Were Never Really There, reveals the caliber of actor Phoenix truly is. He’s able to inhabit the essence of a character. Acting is a skill that takes time to build, and Phoenix has had plenty of time to work on his craft.

That’s my speculation about the film. I can’t say much about the storyline or the quality (though it’s in the capable hands of Phillips), but I do think we’re going to see one of the best performances of Phoenix’s career when it releases in 2019.