Mark Hamill won’t return as The Joker in future Batman projects (Here’s why)
Mark Hamill shares the emotional reason as to why he will probably never return to voice The Joker in any future Batman projects.
Few actors are as synonymous with their characters as Mark Hamill is with The Joker. Considering he has never once played him in live-action, that’s really saying something. But it’s a testament to how his iconic performance as the voice of the Clown Prince of Crime has resonated with people over the past three decades.
It all started in Batman: The Animated Series, but he has reprised the role in various DC media over the years since. Now, in a recent interview with Empire Magazine, the star has shared the reason why he likely won’t ever voice the character again, and it all has to do with the tragic passing of his beloved Batman, Kevin Conroy.
Read an excerpt from the magazine below (H/T: ScreenRant):
"“They would call and say, ‘They want you to do the Joker,’ and my only question was, ‘Is Kevin Batman?’ If they said yes, I would say, ‘I’m in.’ We were like partners. We were like Laurel and Hardy. Without Kevin there, there doesn’t seem to be a Batman for me.”"
The Batman to his Joker
Batman: The Animated Series is iconic for many reasons, but perhaps the thing we’re all most grateful to the Emmy-winning triumph for is introducing us to Kevin Conroy’s Batman and Mark Hamill’s Joker. They were a double act so memorable that they transcended the legendary series, bringing their versions of the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime to other shows, movies, and video games – the most prominent being Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham video game series.
Wherever Hamill’s Joker went, Conroy’s Batman was there to stop him. One simply doesn’t work without the other, and their outstanding voicework in Batman: The Animated Series is why their careers ran parallel to each other’s for so long.
With Kevin Conroy’s untimely passing last year, it’s understandable that Hamill is doubtful that he’ll ever return to The Joker. They were, and always will be, a pair.
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What was your favorite Joker performance from Mark Hamill? Let us know in the comments below!