The Joker as a cultural icon

• Since his creation in 1940, the Joker has evolved into one of the most iconic villains in pop culture
• Previous portrayals of the Joker:

  • Cesar Romero's Joker (1960s) - a campy, comedic character in the TV series 'Batman'
  • Jack Nicholson's Joker (1989) - a psychopathic gangster with a sinister sense of humour in Tim Burton's 'Batman'
  • Heath Ledger's Joker (2008) - a chaotic anarchist in Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight', whose characterization was hailed for its nihilistic philosophy and unpredictability
• Todd Phillip's Joker breaks from tradition by grounding the character in realism, focussing on Arthur's psychological deterioration rather than his criminal genius

  This aligns with the modern trend of humanizing villains in media (ie Maleficent, Cruella)
• Joker subverts the cinematic tropes of "superhero movies"- this can be seen as a reaction to the popularity of Marvel and DC movies of the 2010s