When it comes to the many Joker portrayals over the years, it’s pretty much universally accepted that Heath Ledger blew us away more than any other actor with 2008’s The Dark Knight. Sure, we’re very much hyped for Joaquin Phoenix’s second Joker movie, but a new collectible for Ledger’s version of the villain has me thinking about how legendary and how incredible the actor was in the role all over again.
Heath Ledger’s memory as The Joker has been immortalized by fans in tons of ways over the years, but I’m so serious about how awesome this collectible figure is! Check out The Dark Knight’s Joker with his own Batsuit:
As Hot Toys shared on its Instagram, the Clown Prince of Crime has been given a new twist to his look thanks to this upcoming figure. It’s called ‘The Joker (Batman Imposter Version) (Artisan Edition) Sixth Scale Figure,’ and it features a super realistic version of Joker with a Batsuit that looks spray painted with green, purple and red paint. Perhaps if Ledger’s Joker won a fight against Christian Bale’s Batman, he might have taken his suit and flaunted this redesign in order to haunt the citizens of Gotham City.
The Hot Toys figure is being made in limited quantities and is currently available to “RSVP to receive updates for purchase” on Sideshow. Heath Ledger never donned any sort of Batsuit like this in the movie, but it’s a cool take on the villain that offers a rare opportunity for the character to be a caped crusader, too. Plus, I recall firsthand seeing cosplayer Jean Markus doing the same take on the villain for San Diego Comic-Con 2022. It was truly chilling. Take a look:
Joker has worn a Batsuit before in the comic books as well. For example, it happened within Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #5 by Matthew Rosenberg and Carmine Di Giandomenico, which hit shelves in 2023.
When it comes to Ledger, he is unfortunately among beloved actors who never made it to 40. The actor died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 28, six months before the release of The Dark Knight. The actor never got to see his high-profile role become one of the most acclaimed in superhero movies or accept the posthumous Oscar he earned the following year.
Over the years, talent in Hollywood have continued to remember Ledger and their experience working beside him. As his prior film, 10 Things I Hate About You, passed its 25-year anniversary, the rom-com director, Gil Junger, called the actor “an old soul” who “wasn’t a drug guy.” Aaron Eckhart of The Dark Knight also recently reflected on the blockbuster, sharing that he felt how special the movie was through the script before saying that Heath “went off the charts” with his performance.
If you’re willing to fight to be one of the lucky few to own this figure, sign up for those updates. Otherwise, there’s quite a few upcoming Batman movies and TV shows on the way, including a Joker appearance (played by Mark Hamill) in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earth – Part Three, which just became available to buy on digital this week.
Collectibles like this show how important to DC and comic book pop culture Heath Ledger’s Joker remains to fans.