MCU Star Wants To Play The Joker After Playing Marvel’s Best Villain Since Thanos

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With James Gunn building the new DC Universe, one actor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe is interested in playing the Joker, Batman’s famous enemy. The Joker has been famously portrayed on film by actors like Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix. Having already played a major Marvel villain-one comparable to Thanos-this actor is now hoping to join the DCU as the iconic Joker.

I was reading an interview with Chukwudi Iwuji, and he mentioned he’d *love* to play the Joker in the new DCU! It’s awesome because he’s already proven he can nail a complex villain – remember his performance as High Evolutionary in *Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3*? He said if he got the role, he’d really want to explore the Joker’s sadness and make him feel…grounded, you know? Like, really get into the pain behind the smile. It sounds like a really interesting take.

As a huge fan, I’ve always thought the Joker *has* to be completely unhinged, but it’s interesting how far you can take that. What really got to me about Heath Ledger’s performance was realizing the Joker constantly changed his story about his dad. It made me wonder *why* he’d do that, and it just felt like a way to hide his deep loneliness behind all the craziness. He was covering up a lot of pain, and that ever-changing story felt like proof of it.

Iwuji mentioned Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as the Joker, specifically the scene where he dances on the steps with music and water, and said he wants to approach his own portrayal by making it feel realistic and relatable – using a word from James Gunn, he aims to ‘ground’ the character.

Watching this performance, I really got the sense that the actor was drawing from a deeply personal place – almost like he was crafting a backstory for his character’s father. There’s a vulnerability there, a yearning for simple joy – picturing him carefree, dancing without a worry. But he’s burdened by this persona, this role as the Joker he *has* to play. It creates a profound sadness, and honestly, that sadness is where the real power of the character lies. It’s frightening to think about how someone consumed by their own internal struggles might act towards others, completely detached from the consequences. It’s a truly unsettling and compelling portrayal.

Chukwudi Iwuji Would Make an Exceptional Joker

Iwuji is a strong contender to play the Joker. He’s already familiar with the DC Universe thanks to his role as Clemson Murn in the *Peacemaker* series, and director James Gunn has praised his acting. Plus, he has a proven ability to play complicated and compelling villains.

In his performance as Clemson, Iwuji gave a powerful and complex portrayal of a character wrestling with a difficult past. He skillfully showed the contrast between this character’s former life as a hardened mercenary and the deep emotional weight of carrying another person’s memories. This role demonstrated Iwuji’s ability to express a broad spectrum of feelings, which will be especially important for the unpredictable Joker and Iwuji’s own interest in exploring the character’s inner sadness.

James Gunn was clearly impressed with Chukwudi Iwuji’s work on *Peacemaker*, and soon cast him as the High Evolutionary in *Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3*. This character is deeply troubled, driven to insanity, and a truly irredeemable villain – much like the Joker. Iwuji brought to the role a sense of god-like superiority, a complete lack of empathy, and unpredictable, frightening behavior – all qualities needed to portray such a complex villain.

DC fans will have to be patient to see if Iwuji will play the Joker, but he’s already shown he can convincingly portray complex and captivating villains.

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2025-09-28 20:47