See Willem Dafoe As DC’s Joker

Check out Willem Dafoe as Joker, a part that sure seems like he was born to play. It's a stunning resemblance to the Clown Prince of Crime

By Doug Norrie | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

willem dafoe joker

Recently we got to see Willem Dafoe return as one of the truly iconic comic book villains of all time. It was such a masterful way to round out the character’s arc and reminder that his turn as Norman Osborn was as much a reason for the original Spider-Man’s success as anything else. With one of the most unique looks in Hollywood these days, Dafoe seems almost born to play a villain or at least a plotter, so slotting him into other iconic roles doesn’t appear to be all that heavy a lift. And that’s just what someone did recently, giving us a glimpse of what Willem Dafoe would look like as Joker. 

Over on Instagram, user @elilusionista.cl put Willem Dafoe in the Clown Prince of Crime’s signature makeup and man does it ever work. Where other actors have had to use considerable facelifting work to replicate the sinister smile we all know for the character, Dafoe seems almost a natural at it. So much so that’s it’s actually kind of shocking we haven’t seen him in the role yet. Considering what we know about his on-screen demeanor and already menacing voice, the dude really is a perfect fit. Check out Willem Dafoe as Joker below: 

With the world of comic book movies and series seemingly forever expanding, there is always room to add new representations of characters in different projects. That being said, it’s unlikely that though he very much looks the part, and could clearly act the part, we get Willem Dafoe as this character anytime soon. Though there are plans to bring Joker into the DC mix at some point, we already seem to know the direction that will go in the Robert Pattinson version of the franchise in The Batman. By all accounts and rumors, Barry Keoghan is going to take on that persona in the budding franchise and universe that is ramping up soon. 

As for Willem Dafoe, well he is coming off another masterful performance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, reprising his Osborn/ Green Goblin role from the original movie thanks to the machinations of the Multiverse that now make this sort of thing possible. He was fantastic in the part, playing the dual personality piece to perfection once again. Able to move back and forth between the meek and mild Osborn and then into the devilishly evil Green Goblin isn’t something most actors could pull off with such ease. But Dafoe is a master in this respect. 

While his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (and Spider-Man Universe) is now likely done (though never say never), Dafoe has a number of other projects on the way in the near future. Most notably, he will star in The Northman, an epic from director Robert Eggers that is set to explore a story around a family of Vikings. The loaded cast includes Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, and Bjork in a story of deceit and brutality. It’s set to hit the big screen on April 22nd of this year. So no Joker coming down the pike, but plenty of other Willem Dafoe work on the way.