I’m surely not alone in thinking that Mark Hamill is the GOAT of actors who’ve played The Joker in some form of media. The actor set a high standard when he debuted as the villain decades ago on Batman: The Animated Series. Since then, though, other performers have put their own unique spins on the iconic antagonist, including Barry Keoghan. The Irish actor certainly recognizes veterans, as he recently paid tribute to Hamill, which led to a sweet interaction between them. Now, I’d like Hollywood to give them a movie ASAP.
Barry Keoghan, who played Joker in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, recently took to his Instagram story to share a clip of Mark Hamill from an interview. The Green Knight actor captioned his post by tagging Hamill and noting, “ya pure legend.” Hamill himself eventually saw the sweet tribute and reposted Keoghan’s post. The Star Wars icon then added a sweet message of his own about the “gifted” Keoghan, and you can read it in its entirety below:
When it comes to the entertainment industry, few moments are sweeter than those that involve actors supporting each other. This one is especially sweet for me as a Batman fan, given it’s a back-and-forth between two people who’ve portrayed the Clown Prince of Crime. Aside from those respective roles, both performers have delivered stellar work throughout their careers and have developed distinct styles. It’s for that reason that I would love to see them paired up in a film.
There are plenty of possibilities when it comes to a movie starring Mark Hamill and Barry Keoghan. A comedic road film that sees the two playing mismatched travelers or even father and son would be excellent. Of course, something more dramatic would also suffice. Imagine a flick in which Mark Hamill plays a detective tracking down a serial killer played by Keoghan – or vice versa. I don’t know about you, but you but I’m geeking out just thinking about ideas.
Is Matt Reeves' The Batman Trilogy Still Moving Forward As Planned? The Director Shares An Update
As for their Joker-related work, both actors are in very different places right now. Mark Hamill is seemingly done voicing the character following Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three. His heartbreaking reason for retiring stems from the death of longtime co-star and beloved Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy. Months after sharing those comments, Hamill doubled down on his Joker stance, which was both sad and understandable.
Barry Keoghan’s time playing the maniacal Gotham City criminal is seemingly just beginning. He appeared in two scenes from The Batman, with one of those being released separately months after the film hit theaters. At one point, the Saltburn star said he had big plans for Joker in the upcoming sequel, The Batman – Part II. However, as production on that movie now ramps up, Keoghan is humorously trying to dodge questions about his future as the character.
Whatever Barry Keoghan’s career holds for him, I just hope he and Mark Hamill have a chance to work on a movie at some point in the future. Quite frankly, unless their schedules can never align, I can’t think of a good reason not to bring them together for a film. I guess if that doesn’t happen, though, the silver lining is that the two are, at the very least, admirers of each other’s work.
Check out both actors’ performances as the Joker by streaming Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman using a Max subscription. Also, keep scanning the 2024 movie schedule in case either star notches an entry there by the end of the year.
