The question has more than one right answer, because the Joker has been recast in live action six times since 1966. If you want the shortest possible reply: Heath Ledger plays the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), and Joaquin Phoenix plays him in Joker (2019) and Joker: Folie à Deux (2024). Everything else depends on which film you are actually holding in your hand. This guide sorts the answer by movie, actor, and format so you can match the face on the poster to the right name.
Quick answer by movie
- Batman: The Movie (1966): Cesar Romero
- Batman (1989): Jack Nicholson
- The Dark Knight (2008): Heath Ledger
- Suicide Squad (2016): Jared Leto
- Joker (2019) and Joker: Folie à Deux (2024): Joaquin Phoenix
- The Batman (2022): Barry Keoghan, in a brief appearance that was expanded in a deleted scene
- Animated features (Mask of the Phantasm, The Killing Joke): Mark Hamill, voice only
Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight (2008)
Ledger plays the Joker opposite Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan's second Batman film. He is the actor most people mean when they type the question without naming a title, and he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role, awarded after his death in 2008.
Pros
How Did Joker Become the Joker? Every Origin Story Explained
- The performance most often cited as the definitive screen Joker
- Grounded, unsettling take that fits a crime drama as much as a comic book film
- Widely available and easy to find in any format
Cons
- Not a comic-book origin story, so it tells you little about the character's background
- The film is dark and long, which makes it a heavier watch than the standalone Joker
Best for: anyone who wants the single most acclaimed live-action Joker and does not mind a serious tone.
Joaquin Phoenix in Joker (2019) and Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a struggling comedian in a version of Gotham that sits outside the Batman continuity. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the first film, and he returned for the 2024 sequel alongside Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.
Pros
- Full origin story, so the character's path from nobody to Joker is the whole plot
- Two films to watch if you want more of the same performance
- Phoenix's Oscar win gives it the same awards pedigree as Ledger's turn
Cons
- No Batman in a meaningful role, which surprises viewers expecting a superhero film
- The sequel splits audiences and changes tone from the first film
Best for: viewers who want a character study and a clear answer to "where did the Joker come from."
Jack Nicholson in Batman (1989)
Nicholson plays Jack Napier, a mob enforcer who becomes the Joker, opposite Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's film. This was the version that defined the character for a generation before Nolan's trilogy.
Pros
- Large, theatrical performance that matches Burton's gothic Gotham
- Gives the Joker a name and a backstory tied directly to Batman
- Strong entry point for anyone new to pre-2000s comic adaptations
Cons
- Dated visual effects in places
- Tone is closer to a stage musical than to modern crime drama
Best for: fans of the 1980s era and viewers who want the Joker as the villain of a Batman film rather than the lead.
Jared Leto in Suicide Squad (2016)
Leto plays the Joker in a supporting role in David Ayer's Suicide Squad, with a brief return in the 2021 director's cut of Justice League. He has the least screen time of any live-action Joker in a feature film.
Pros
- Short, stylized appearances that are easy to sample
- Pairs with Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn in a way the other films do not
Cons
- Very limited screen time, so the performance is hard to judge as a whole
- Design choices divided both critics and comic readers
Best for: completists working through every live-action Joker, not first-time viewers.
Cesar Romero in Batman: The Movie (1966)
Romero plays the Joker in the feature film spun off from the Adam West television series, the first Joker to appear in a Batman movie. He famously kept his mustache and had it covered with makeup rather than shave it.
Pros
- The origin point for the character on screen, useful for film history
- Bright, comic tone that works for family viewing
Cons
- Camp style reads as odd to viewers raised on modern versions
- Little psychological depth compared with later takes
Best for: history buffs and parents looking for a lighter Joker.
Mark Hamill: the animated movies
If the film you mean is animated, the answer is usually Mark Hamill, who voiced the Joker in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) and Batman: The Killing Joke (2016), plus years of animated series and games. He never appears on screen in the role, which is why he is missing from most lists of live-action actors.
Pros
- Widely regarded as the defining voice of the character
- Connects directly to the 1990s animated series if you want more
Cons
- Voice only, so there is no physical performance to watch
- Film appearances are limited compared with his television work
Best for: animated-film searches and fans of the 1990s series.
Barry Keoghan and the near-misses
Keoghan filmed a scene as an Arkham inmate in The Batman (2022) that was cut from the theatrical release and later published as a deleted scene; a short exchange with the Riddler remains in the finished film, with the character's face unseen. Separately, Cameron Monaghan played a Joker-inspired character across the series Gotham, but that is television rather than a movie, which explains a lot of confused search results.
Best for: readers who half-remember a Joker they cannot place.
How to get the right answer fast
- Check the release year on the poster or streaming tile.
- Match the year to the list above; no two live-action Joker films share a year.
- If the film is animated, assume Hamill before anyone else.
- If the Joker appears only in one or two scenes, you are likely looking at Leto or Keoghan.