6 Actors (& Actresses) Who Could Play The Joker in the New Origin Movie

Following in footsteps as big as those of Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger isn’t going to be easy. But someone has to do it.

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Who that someone will be remains a mystery. According to Deadline, Warner Bros and DC are in the early stages of another Batman movie, and this one will back up a few years to tell the origin story of one of the most iconic Gotham City villains: The Joker.

Most recently, Jared Leto played The Joker in Suicide Squad, but Deadline reports that a new actor will be cast for the latest iteration of the character — possibly someone younger since the new movie will tell The Joker’s origin story.

We have a few opinions about who might be a good fit for the role.

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1. Matthew McConaughey

McConaughey has delivered some absolutely showstopping performances in his more recent years — True Detective, anyone? Just imagine him in The Joker’s white face paint and wide grin delivering a cackling monologue. You know he’d be great. The only question is whether he’s young enough for the origin story role.

2. Leslie Odom Jr.

Any Hamilton fan knows Odom has some serious acting chops. He played the sympathetic villain Aaron Burr so seamlessly, we’d love to see what he’d do as The Joker. Plus, with Odom on board, maybe Warner Bros and DC would consider turning this into a musical! No? Too much to hope for? Fine.

3. Jake Gyllenhaal

Remember Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler? That was one of the creepiest characters ever to hit the big screen. Gyllenhaal would definitely do the role justice, plus it would give him a chance to pay tribute to his old friend Ledger.

4. Tom Hiddleston

This one might be a little awkward because Hiddleston already played a villain in a Marvel movie. But his incredible performance as Loki is just more evidence that DC should give him a shot too.

5. Aubrey Plaza

And what if we shook things up a little bit? Why does the big screen Joker have to look exactly the same in every iteration? Why can’t we have a female Joker? We think we can, and there’s no woman better-suited for the part than Plaza, who showcased her ability to nail dark and brooding with a blisteringly funny side as April on Parks and Rec.

Also worth mentioning — if a female was going to be the future of the Joker — Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter, Christina Ricci and Angela Bassett could be other killer options.

6. Peter Dinklage

While we’re on the subject of breaking the traditional mold and rewriting a modern Joker, why not Dinklage? He has the star power from Game of Thrones to bring tons of fans to the franchise, and we know from his years on the HBO hit that his acting is top-notch.

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Who do you think would make a great Joker? Let us know in the comments below.