From the campy version in the ’60s Batman to Christopher Nolan taking a more grounded approach with the character in the TDK trilogy, Joker has undergone a lot of variations over the years. But among all the depictions of the character, which has two Oscar wins under its belt, Mark Hamill’s portrayal of the clown prince of crime is arguably the most iconic.
However, if it wasn’t for Michael Keaton, whose casting as Batman garnered backlash at the time, the Star Wars icon might not have stepped footing to the realm of DC to audition for Joker.
Michael Keaton’s Batman Controversy Pushed Mark Hamill to Audition for Joker
Considering Michael Keaton had yet to put his dramatic chops to display and was more notable for playing comedic roles, fans weren’t enthralled by his casting as the Dark brooding vigilante. But as the story goes, Keaton proved his skeptics wrong, and even after three decades since dropping the cowl, he still remains the definitive live-action Batman.
This would eventually inspire Hamill to audition for the Joker, who was assured fans wouldn’t see Luke Skywalker fit for the part but was completely relaxed as a result.
Hamill recalled (via The Hollywood Reporter):
“There was this big outcry that Michael Keaton was going to play Batman. Oh, he’s Mr. Mom, he’s a comedy actor.’ I mean they hadn’t even seen him, and they didn’t realize how great he would become. But there was great controversy… So, when I went in, I thought, ‘You think they’re going to hire Luke Skywalker to play the Joker? The fans will lose their minds!’ I was so sure that I couldn’t be cast, I was completely relaxed.”
Like Keaton in Batman, Mark Hamill would excel as Joker, which he deemed one of his favorite characters because Joker is never boring and brings chaos everywhere he goes.
Michael Keaton’s Batman Helped Batman: The Animated Series Get Made
Not only did Keaton’s Batman inspire Hamill to play Joker, but the Tim Burton-led films are also responsible for the creation of Batman: The Animated Series.
Per Bruce Timm, the creator of BTAS, which saw Hamill and Kevin Conroy mark their debut as Joker and Batman, Burton’s dark and gritty take on the character helped them get BTAS greenlit.
Timm recalled:
“There was definitely a lot of pressure. But we were actually quite lucky, when that show was being developed we were coming off the heels of the Tim Burton Batman films, which were very dark in tone. That actually created a great transition for the animated series. It made it easier to go to the Fox network and tell them we wanted to approach the show with a darker more serious tone, and more dramatic take on the character, which is what we had originally planned to do.”
While Hamill didn’t get to join forces with Keaton’s crusader, he had the late Kevin Conroy, whose Batman remains the definitive version of the DC icon.
Batman and Batman: The Animated Series are available to stream on Max.
