10 Iconic Villains Who Were Barely In The Movie
3. The Joker - The Dark Knight (2008): 25 Minutes
Whilst every Joker, one Leto-shaped individual definitely excluded, made a seriously striking impression as the Clown Prince of Crime, the legendary Heath Ledger version of the character really stands out, even with his relatively restrained screen-time.
It would probably be unfair to say the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy owes it success solely on Heath Ledger, however there's no denying that the iconic portrayal of the Joker in the Dark Knight was instrumental in turning the series from good to a special part of film history.
This version of the Clown Prince is an anarchist in every sense of the word, simply revelling in the chaos as Ledger sells a mesmeric performance of a guy ramping up the stakes and the tension with every scene he is in.
The scenes in The Dark Knight featuring the Joker are easily the most memorable in the film, which makes it all the more surprising to learn that he only makes up around about 25 minutes of the total screen time.
Nicholson's Batman and Phoenix's Joker are both undeniably legendary portrayals in their own right, however Ledger's version will always be the most special, even if he comes in with some of the lowest amount of screen time.