Looking back at Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger’s casting as Joker now seems to be a brilliant move. However, when the director initially decided to cast Ledger, it wasn’t quite appreciated by fans and critics. Apparently, Nolan was brutally slammed for his choice of villain.
Christopher Nolan’s brother Jonathan Nolan who co-wrote The Dark Knight addressed how fans and critics slammed the casting of Heath Ledger for the role of Joker. And now after a decade, those fans are the ones who hailed the casting, proving why it was important for Nolan to push back against the criticism and do what he felt best for the movie.
Christopher Nolan Was Criticized For Casting Heath Ledger
It is impossible to think of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight movies without considering Heath Ledger in the role of Batman’s nemesis, The Joker. The actor’s extraordinary performance not only won him an Academy Award posthumously but also turned him into an epitome of on-screen villains.
However, surprisingly, when Christopher Nolan initially revealed his decision to cast Heath Ledger as Joker, he received immense criticism from people. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jonathan Nolan who co-wrote The Dark Knight, discussed how everyone around the director failed to understand his decision.
“No one got it, the studio didn’t get it. Everyone was coming at Chris [Nolan] and saying, ‘we don’t see it’. And the fan community was… we were f*cking pilloried for it. ‘This is a disaster. The worst casting decision ever made.’”
The Nolan brothers knew it wouldn’t be easy to work on their interpretation of The Joker for Dark Knight. Perhaps, it was because Jack Nicholson pretty much owned the character. But they had no idea that fans and critics would go ballistic. They didn’t expect a unanimously negative reaction to Ledger’s casting as Joker.
Heath Ledger Became Synonymous With The Joker
During the interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jonathan Nolan mentioned how Christopher Nolan had to work through the criticisms. Claiming how the director was often slammed by fans for his decision, the co-writer mentioned that eventually his brother ignored every criticism and proved his point.
“Chris just hunkered down and stuck to his guns and just kept moving along. Respectfully, it was a question of not giving the fans what they’re asking for but what they want, right. What they really want.”
Despite the negative reaction, Christopher Nolan refused to let go of his vision. Thus, eventually, the director cast Heath Ledger in the role of The Joker and the actor proved his worth. Becoming pretty much synonymous with the DC villain, Ledger proved why he was the right actor for the role.
Even Christopher Nolan’s adamant nature clearly paid off, as The Dark Knight turned into a highly appreciated superhero movie. Sticking to his instincts, the director justified why his vision and decision were always right when it came to Heath Ledger’s casting as The Joker.
Watch The Dark Knight trilogy on Max.
