I'm going to get in a bit of trouble here, aren't I? The issue here is not whether Nicholson belongs on this list, but why he isn't ranked higher. If this was a list about the most important actors in Batman movie history then Jack Nicholson would be near the very top. This is a best list, though, and Jack's Joker has steep competition. Nicholson's Joker was undoubtedly great in its time, leaving an indelible mark on the franchise. His portrayal was a very faithful representation of the character, so much so that his Joker could have come to Anton Furst's Gotham by way of a Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams comic book. The prankster aspect of the character was present along with an affinity for homicide. It is for those reasons and more that Jack belongs on this list. He is not ranked higher, however, for a couple reasons. First and foremost, the rest of this list will feature tough competition from remarkable actors. Second, while Jack was definitely The Joker in Batman (1989), he was still very much the idea of himself that he'd implanted in the minds of audiences years before. Jack Nicholson can still be found underneath the makeup and perma-grin, as there was not a full disappearance into the role, nor was a completely new onscreen villain created. Sure, people at the time may have thought Jack left behind impossible shoes to fill, but we now know that wasn't the case.
