Willem Dafoe really wants to play Joker, and we back it

Willem Dafoe still wants to play a variant of Gotham’s clown prince of crime, Warner Bros what are you doing?

With zero disrespect to the man, Willem Dafoe is the king of playing creepy characters. One of his most recognisable roles is that of Norman Osborn AKA The Green Goblin in Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man films, and he even came back for Spider-Man: No Way Home with Tom Holland.

Speaking of Spider-Man, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is out now on PS5

However while the Marvel character is still very near and dear to Dafoe’s heart, he’s dying to have a crack at another beloved supervillain, DC’s The Joker.

Fans have said it for years, Willem Dafoe would be a phenomenal Joker, possibly even surpassing the performances of Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix if given the right script and direction.

The actor agrees as well, previously pitching an idea where Dafoe would play an imposter version of The Joker in Joaquin Phoenix’s films, resulting in the pair clashing for the title of the true harlequin of hate.

Recently on the Jimmy Fallon show, Dafoe reiterated the idea and how it had reportedly gone nowhere, saying “ floated an idea a while ago, but it didn't quite happen, so … Listen, I didn't really float it to them. I just mentioned it in an interview and then it kind of went out on the internet. But I thought it would be cool for me to play an imposter — like slipstreaming his thing."

Dafoe urged fans to “talk to Warner Bros,” as the company would ultimately have the final say for who next puts on the purple suit and disturbing makeup.

A sequel to Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is set to release this year. The sequel is titled Joker: Folie à Deux, and will be a musical exploring the relationship between Joker and his equally famous accomplice/love interest Harleen Quinzel, AKA Harley Quinn.

Maybe Willem Dafoe will get his wish in a third Todd Phillips film, or possibly in Matt Reeve’s take on the caped crusader.