A group of Heath Ledger fans calling themselves, “The Ultimate Joker” are saying that the character of The Joker should be retired from film forever. They are likening it to the Chicago Bulls retiring the number 23 after Michael Jordan left the NBA. They say Ledger’s performance will never be equaled and thus no one should try. See this link: http://www.comicvine.com/news/ledger-fans-demand-that-the-joker-retires/137958/.
I think these fans have the wrong idea. It’s one thing to retire a jersey number, but retiring a whole character damages film. I mean, no one asked to retire Superman after Christopher Reeve died. He was a great Superman but Brandon Routh (“Superman Returns”) and Tom Welling (“Smallville”) have brought out new dimensions of the character.
Film is filled with great characters that have been played by several different people. Look at James Bond. Or Catwoman. Or The Incredible Hulk.
So with all due respect to Heath Ledger and his brilliant performance, let’s keep The Joker alive.
Hello, Assalam Alaikum, Hola,
I would say that maybe, if the character had been created for him, it would make a bit of sense. But the character has existed long before Ledger took up the role, so the character should continue to evolve with new actors and stories.
~ Kristi