Every live-action Joker actor, from Cesar Romero to Joaquin Phoenix, ranked

• Joaquin Phoenix is one of two actors to win an Oscar for playing the Joker.
• But that doesn’t mean he’s the best version of the DC villain.
• Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, and Cameron Monaghan all gave great interpretations of the villain.

Joaquin Phoenix may have won an Oscar for playing the Joker — but that doesn’t mean his is the best portrayal of the iconic anti-hero.

Phoenix starred as the DC villain in two solo films, 2019’s “Joker” and the new sequel “Joker: Folie à Deux.”

The first film was released in a big year for superhero movies and made over $1 billion. Director Todd Phillips’ approach of making the Joker a more realistic and human character appealed to critics, and the film won two Oscars.

By contrast, the sequel film has bombed with critics and fans alike and currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 39%.

In August, Phillips seemed to suggest to Variety that there wouldn’t be another “Joker” sequel when he said: “I think we’ve said what we wanted to say in this world.”

With Phoenix’s run as the Joker seemingly at its end, here is how he weighs up against actors who played live-action versions of the role before him.

(For anyone wondering, we didn’t include Barry Keoghan because he appeared in only one scene in 2022’s “The Batman.”)