The latest trailer for The Batman had barely even arrived online before the talk turned to the Joker, which was inevitable when the Clown Prince of Crime is never too far behind the Dark Knight, regardless of whether we’re talking about film, television, comic books, video games or any other form of media.
We’ve been inundated with rumors that the Jester of Genocide is being lined up for either a fan-baiting cameo in Matt Reeves’ reboot or a full-blown antagonistic role in one of the sequels, with plenty of names being touted in online circles. One of the more unusual contenders fans have been backing is Kristen Stewart, largely due to her long and often complicated history with former Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson.
In a new interview with Variety, Stewart addressed the campaign to see her play the Joker, and she definitely didn’t rule herself out of the running should the opportunity come up.
“I love the energy behind that. It’s really been done so well. I feel like, maybe, we don’t traipse over, but I love that gusto. Let’s figure something else out. I’m totally down to play a freaky, scary person. Not ‘no,’ but not the most stoked I’ve ever been. Let’s do something new.”
Stewart is currently gaining some serious awards season buzz for her performance in Princess Diana biopic Spencer, and if she ended up winning an Academy Award, she’d be well-placed to inhabit the Joker. After all, Jack Nicholson and Jared Leto won Oscars before they played the part, with Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix winning for their stints under the makeup, so history has shown that you can’t play Batman’s arch-nemesis unless you’ve got one.