Let's Put A Smile On That Face: Fan Artist Imagines Jackie Earle Haley As The Joker

As the cackle of the Joker makes its way from the pages of DC's comic books and to our screens once more, fans can't help but "smile" at the opportunity to see a darker take on the criminal clown. Martin Scorsese is already circling a #Joker origin movie, with Leonardo DiCaprio as a firm favorite to slip into the purple suit, but who else could play the Clown Prince of Crime?

From Cesar Romero to Heath Ledger, Jared Leto to Mark Hamill, there have been some notable names to practice their best Joker cackles. With another big name sure to step into those oversized shoes, all eyes are on who could nab the lucrative role and just how a "new" Joker could stand out from the rest of the deck of cards.

The image seems to be a near-perfect amalgamation of Jokers past by combining the bright hair of Romero, Ledger's scarred smile, and the purple suit of the Jack Nicholson era. Whatever Warner Bros. decides to do with the solo-film, expect the studio to steer away from the modern interpretation that #JaredLeto's most recent portrayal brought to the screen — don't expect origin Joker to sport a metal grill.

The artwork then prompted fans to ask BossLogic to do a rendering for other possible candidates, with actors like Steve Buscemi and Willem Dafoe being popular choices. The artist already shared their vision for DiCaprio in the role, so perhaps BossLogic is creating a whole set of casting choices for us to pass judgement on.

Set outside the confines of the DCEU, the Joker origin film promises to be a brutal and bloody dive into the psyche of possibly the most famous comic book villain of all time. Given that Haley played antihero Rorschach in Watchmen and stuck on some claws to play Freddy Krueger in the maligned A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot, he is no stranger to playing a disturbed member of society.

With an eclectic CV of comic book movies and TV roles, it is a wonder that Haley hasn't been suggested for playing Puddin' a lot sooner than this. Haley's name has often cropped up for a live-action portrayal of other Batman foe Victor Zsasz, but he would also be an outside choice to play Joker. Also, as an increasingly popular name on the Hollywood scene, Haley seems to be going from strength to strength and could be perfect Joker fodder.

There is still very little news surrounding the Joker film, but with the DC big wigs seemingly keen to cast off the bad memories of Leto in Suicide Squad, could the origin film be the perfect way to redeem Mr. J?