These Actors Nearly Became The "Joker"!

Christopher Nolan initially considered Sean Penn, not Heath Ledger, for the role of the "Joker". However, Penn declined the offer, feeling uneasy about portraying a character previously played by his close friend Jack Nicholson.

When Tim Burton was brainstorming potential actors for the role of "Joker", James Woods was among those considered. Woods, known for his intense performances, seemed like a strong candidate, but Jack Nicholson ultimately secured the iconic role.

When Todd Phillips started writing the 'Joker' script, Joaquin Phoenix was his sole choice for the lead role. However, the studio initially aimed for Leonardo DiCaprio to portray "Arthur Fleck", with Martin Scorsese directing, though both were unavailable at the time.

Robin Williams was up for the "Joker" role in Tim Burton's 'Batman' but lost out to Jack Nicholson. Williams felt he was used to get Nicholson interested. Burton promised Williams the Riddler role, but when Burton left the third film's production, Jim Carrey got the role instead.

Back in the early 1980s, there was talk about a Batman/Superman movie, and they were thinking of casting David Bowie as the "Joker". But that movie never happened.

Before Jared Leto took on the role of "Joker" in 'Suicide Squad', the film studio had their sights set on Ryan Gosling. However, Gosling declined the offer as he wasn't interested in signing a multi-movie contract. In hindsight, it might have been a good decision.

Tim Curry was supposed to be the "Joker's" voice in 'Batman: The Animated Series'. But after four episodes, they found his voice too scary for kids, so they replaced him with Mark Hamill.

Frank Sinatra, recognizing the success of the '60s 'Batman' TV series, desired to join the action. He expressed interest in playing the "Joker"; however, Cesar Romero had already secured the role, leaving Sinatra out of luck.

Brad Dourif, who's famous for being the voice of "Chucky" in the Child's Play movies, shared that Tim Burton considered him for the role of the "Joker". Dourif mentioned, "Tim Burton saw me on a plane and wanted to cast me, and [Warner Bros.] said no."

Adrien Brody shared in an MTV interview that he had talks with Christopher Nolan about playing the "Joker" in 'The Dark Knight'. Though he admired Heath Ledger's performance, he expressed interest in the role, saying, "Heath did an amazing job, but yeah, I would've loved to play that character. It was an incredible role."