10 Most Iconic Villains In Movie History

The clown prince of crime remains a winning supervillain because there are so many ways to interpret him. You can play him funny like Jack Nicholson or manic like Joaquin Phoenix. He can be a secret genius like Heath Ledger’s rendition, or whatever it was that Jared Leto was going for.

Almost any which way you play The Joker, he is an iconic creation, from the rumpled suit to the make up to the political undertones that more recent versions have leaned on. He is the ultimate enemy for Batman because he’s a reflection of his foe - born out of a traumatic moment, but without the caped crusader’s background of enormous privilege.

Phoenix most recently dug into the character more than ever before, and elevated The Joker out of the comic book realm. In taking such a deep look at the man behind the scars and the make up, he has served to make the part more iconic still, with timely elements of mental health and socio economic issues for the next actor to take on. Because if we can guarantee one thing, it’s plenty more actors queuing up to don the face paint.