Being cast as the Joker has led to some highly lauded comic book movie performances, plus Jared Leto’s take. Although there’s no official word that the Clown Prince of Crime has been planned for Matt Reeves’ The Batman, Kevin Smith has stated that he believes Johnny Depp would be perfect for the role.
The topic came up in a recording of Smith’s podcast Fatman Beyond (beginning at the 58:40 mark) where he addressed the rumor. Smith is something of an authority on DC comics and Batman in particular, and declared the choice “kinda f**king perfect.”
The temptation to include an abundance of villains has been the downfall of comic book movies in the past, most notably Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 (Sandman, Green Goblin II, Venom), Batman & Robin (Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Bane, Jason Woodrue) and Daredevil (Bullseye, Elektra, Kingpin). The Batman is already slated to include Catwoman, Riddler, Penguin and Carmine Falcone, so having the Joker as well would definitely tip the narrative over the edge into overkill. If he does turn up, it will probably be in a post-credits scene setting up his proper appearance in the follow-up, in much the same way the character’s inclusion was teased at the end of Batman Begins.
In terms of acting, Depp is now most closely associated by a majority of moviegoers with his multiple performances as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but he first made a name for himself in the ‘90s playing a succession of offbeat weirdoes, often in films directed by Tim Burton. They were mostly characters of some degree of sympathy and benevolence, but the progression into the unhinged mania of the Jester of Genocide would not be much of a step, meaning that Smith might well be right in his assessment of potential further casting for The Batman or its sequels.