How ‘Harley Quinn’ Transformed the Joker From the World’s Worst Ex to a Socialist Stepfather
variety.comWilson Chapman editorSpoiler Alert: Do not read if you haven’t watched “Joker: The Killing Vote,” Episode 6 of “Harley Quinn” Season 3, now streaming on HBO Max.Like all comic book characters, the Joker has been the subject many diverse interpretations throughout the years, from Cesar Romero’s prank-loving ’60s clown to Mark Hamill’s gleefully maniacal criminal mastermind in the ’90s animated series.
But in recent years, the character has been depicted almost exclusively in one light: dark, grim and dangerous.In Heath Ledger’s acclaimed turn as a scarred version of the character, Jared Leto’s divisive portrayal of a tatted up clown prince of crime and Joaquin Phoenix’s highly physical performance as an ordinary man turning into the Joker, Batman’s most famous nemesis has rarely been allowed to be lighthearted of late, with writers emphasizing his darkest and most murderous tendencies.
While some exceptions exist — including the Joker seen in 2016’s “The Lego Batman Movie,” an unlucky-in-hate guy desperate to get Batman to notice him — the 21st century has seen the character portrayed less as a real human than as an agent of pure violence and chaos.
The Joker voiced by Alan Tudyk in HBO Max’s delightful animated DC series “Harley Quinn” isn’t exactly a subversion of what we have come to expect from the character, at least at first.
Read more on variety.com