10 Outstanding Final Film Performances

The Joker has become one of the most intriguing characters in cinema history and demands a performance of the highest-calibre to live up to the standards of audiences and critics. Whilst Jack Nicholson and more recently Joaquin Phoenix both provided great and creative interpretations of the Batman arch nemesis, neither come close to Heath Ledger's era defining performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

Christopher Nolan’s epic Superhero film was praised by audiences and critics for its mature themes and casting of Ledger. Some even regard the film to not only be the greatest of the genre, but also one of the greatest films of all time.

At the 2009 Oscars, the film would receive eight Oscar nominations, with Ledger's victory in Best Supporting Actor category ensuring that he would just become the second person to win an Oscar posthumously in an acting category. Ledger’s darker and more psychotic interpretation of the Joker won over Superhero film critics, with the performance legitimising comic book characters’ position on the silver screen heading into a decade that would be dominated by the genre.

Whilst Marvel and DC have attempted to adopt Nolan and Ledger’s reinvention of the genre into their blockbuster franchises, these efforts have rarely managed to excite and challenge audiences as much as critically acclaimed The Dark Knight, which remains the greatest of the genre.