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Thanos, The Joker and the 25 greatest superhero movie villains of all-time

By Michael Patterson

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: A Joker costume from the 2008 film The Dark Knight worn by actor Heath Ledger and designed by Lindy Hemming is on display at the DC Comics Exhibition: Dawn Of Super Heroes at the O2 Arena on February 22, 2018 in London, England. The exhibition, which opens on February 23rd, features 45 original costumes, models and props used in DC Comics productions including the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman films. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: A Joker costume from the 2008 film The Dark Knight worn by actor Heath Ledger and designed by Lindy Hemming is on display at the DC Comics Exhibition: Dawn Of Super Heroes at the O2 Arena on February 22, 2018 in London, England. The exhibition, which opens on February 23rd, features 45 original costumes, models and props used in DC Comics productions including the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman films. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) /
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Photo: Batman / Warner Bros. Studios Image Courtesy Fathom Events Press /

5. The Joker

Film: Batman (1989)

Batman’s first silver screen adventure in over two decades needed a villain as larger-than-life as the Dark Knight himself – and that villain was, of course, the Clown Prince of Crime: The Joker. Tasked with bringing him to life, Jack Nicholson put on one hell of a show as he intentionally over-performed his way through every ounce of material and lapped up the experience like there was no tomorrow – and it absolutely worked.

What made this Joker different to his comic book counterpart, and indeed his predecessor Cesar Romero, was the fact that he was already a mobster to begin with. As Jack Napier, he was intimidating and imposing and was used to getting his own way – so add all that to the boisterous insanity of The Joker and you have a larger-than-life supervillain.

A self-proclaimed homicidal artist, he longed to be even more famous than his creator – The Batman. And as a result, the two Gothic creatures embarked on a collision course towards their destiny as icons of the big screen – a collision course that became a heck of a lot more treacherous when it concluded atop Gotham City church.

The Joker was so much more than Batman’s first real test as a hero. Yes, he did serve that role, but he was also a representation of what was possible in Gotham (and a sign of things to come) and, more importantly, the man who murdered Bruce Wayne’s parents. And that made him the ultimate nemesis of The Dark Knight – enhancing a story that was already incredibly rich without it.

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