DC's New Joker Already Looks Wildly Different To Any Other Version (2024)

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Batman: Caped Crusader season 1.

Batman: Caped Crusader revealed its version of the Joker at the very end of its first season, and this preview of the iconic DC villain suggested the show will have a very different version of the character. As Batman's most popular villain - and an enormously popular character in his own right - many versions of the Joker have appeared on television and in movies over the years, with basically every version of the hero coming with his own edition of the Clown Prince of Crime, and the upcoming DCU sure to contain yet another rendition of the famous figure.

While it seemed Batman: Caped Crusader could be set to go without its own Joker entirely based on the trailers and teasers for the show, the last moments of season 1 told a different story. Giving audiences their first look at the new Joker in the Batman animated show, the scene served to also point out a series of ways this version of the antagonist seems unlike more traditional versions of the character, making his impending story in Batman: Caped Crusader season 2 all the more interesting.

Batman: Caped Crusader's Joker Debut Already Shows A Very Different Version Of The DC Villain

Batman: Caped Crusader Season 1 Episode 10 Reveals The Joker Will Be In The DC Show

Batman: Caped Crusader season 1's ending shows a glimpse at the show's iteration of the Joker in its final scene, revealing him midway through experiments on what appears to be some injectable form of the deadly laughing gas he's known to utilize. While audiences hear the hysterical and pained sounding laughter of one of the Joker's victims, the man himself offers none of the laughter or levity typically associated with the villain, instead offering a very serious and low sounding "perfect" as his latest target passes away from the toxic chemicals racing through their body.

The background of the Joker's base is shown to have a considerable range of chemical equipment, suggesting the villain may not only be more somber than his usual counterparts, but also more focused on the laughing gas and other dangerous tools that can appear in the Joker's arsenal, making him perhaps closer to Scarecrow in some aspects. Interestingly, the scene also seems to show the Joker is clad in all black, which would be another large change from his usual bright and purple-and-green-themed wardrobe, and also align with the idea of a more serious Joker.

Batman: Caped Crusader's Plot Has Already Changed The Joker's Story

Harley Quinn's Caped Crusader Arc Already Makes The Joker's Story Different

Harley Quinn's altered origins in Batman: Caped Crusader already seems to have changed the Joker's story in the show by extension. Where Harley originally becomes a supervillain after becoming romantically involved with the Joker following her encounters with him as his psychiatrist, Caped Crusader has Harley be a corrupt psychiatrist seemingly from the get-go, as she kidnaps some clients in order to break them down psychologically.

The Joker is never mentioned in Harley's story, and the fact that this version of the character is shown to be romantically interested in women and makes no reference to a romantic interest in men suggests their comic romance simply doesn't feature in the world of Batman: Caped Crusader. Given this and the fact it appears that Batman has not yet encountered the Joker in this world, splitting the stories of Harley Quinn and Joker makes sense, particularly as Harley otherwise would need to be introduced after the Joker himself was placed in Arkham Asylum.

Why A Different Version Of The Joker Would Be Great For Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2

Joker's Future In the Show Is An Especially Promising One

While the Joker has had a massive range of iconic and deservedly beloved iterations over the course of the years, these depictions tend to have stayed in the same realms with some concepts by and large - generally having an excitable and dramatic version of the antagonist who belts out at least a few versions of his characteristic cackling laugh. As such, deviations from these aspects of the character are all the more risky, but all the more interesting and rewarding if they can be altered while still keeping the figure in question still clearly the Joker.

Batman: Caped Crusader has focused on revitalizing and reimagining the core cast of the DC hero's story, and having a Joker that reflects this mission statement seems the most logical path forward. It's also a path that doesn't strictly have to divorce itself from the source material as much as it might appear, as there are plenty of versions of the Joker and moments with the villain that see him be a little more serious than usual - something that the 2019 hit The Joker can be seen to draw from.

Whatever the case, Batman: Caped Crusader season 2 is all the more exciting with the knowledge that a new version of the Joker is about to be a feature of its story. With the show having made some fascinating new versions of the Dark Knight's rogues gallery, the road ahead is promising, even if the details regarding the Clown Prince of Crime and the sequel season's other antagonists will only become fully clear when the next season releases.

Batman: Caped Crusader (2024)

Wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne, transformed by tragedy, takes on the mantle of Batman to combat the rampant corruption and crime in Gotham City. His vigilante actions attract both allies within the GCPD and City Hall and deadly adversaries, leading to unforeseen consequences. The series delves into the noir roots of Batman, exploring the psychological depths of Gotham's inhabitants.

Cast

Hamish Linklater , Christina Ricci , Jamie Chung , Diedrich Bader , Mckenna Grace , Toby Stephens , Reid Scott

Release Date

August 1, 2024