Batman fans stunned by Dark Knight Joker secret we all missed

Every time a new secret comes to light about the Dark Knight Trilogy, I find myself wondering if I properly watched the films at all.

The latest unknown detail comes from Batman: The Dark Knight, and is specifically about the Joker – and no, it isn’t about how his plans started in Batman Begins.

Batman: Arkham Shadow has an intriguing story waiting for us

In the second film, the Joker has many unique quirks that help bring the character to life; it’s part of the reason Heath Ledger was so widely praised for the role.

However, one aspect of the character’s development wasn’t planned at all.

Revealed by Twitter user Wolf of X, the Joker constantly licking the corners of his mouth wasn’t an unusual character trait but rather a happy accident.

They tweeted, “In The Dark Knight (2008), Joker is constantly licking his lips. This is actually because of the prosthetic scars that Heath Ledger wore.”

“They kept falling off, so Heath would lick his lips to keep them in place. Gradually, it became a part of the Joker’s character,” they further explained.

For those interested in delving into other film trivia, there’s lots to explore via the Twitter thread. But for Batman fans specifically, we have other hiding-in-plain-sight secrets that you’d like to know about.

Turns out, one of the weirdest villains of the franchise was hiding in Dark Knight Rises all along, we just simply didn’t look hard enough. Oh, the shame.

So many unique references to the comics, as well as entertaining cameos can be found within the trilogy, if only we’d pay more attention.

With Batman: Arkham Shadow on its way, we’re looking forward to the lore we’ll get to deep dive into as we return to the mean streets of Gotham.

It might not prove as interestingly random as Ledger’s lip licking, but we’ll readily digest it all the same.