Adrien Brody on his Joker discussions with Christopher Nolan

Adrien Brody may not have landed the role of The Joker for Christopher Nolan but he does still have an interest in comic book movies.

At this point, we’ve seen so many iterations of The Joker. From Caesar Romero to Jack Nicholson to Heath Ledger to whatever Jared Leto was going for, the Clown Prince of Crime, just about everything has been done. And while nobody did it like Ledger, we do wonder what other actors would have brought to the makeup had they edged him out. Some, like Joaquin Phoenix (who was offered the role) would get their chance later on, but others will forever be a fantasy – and usually for good reason. Take Adrien Brody, for example, who says he was in the conversation to play The Joker in The Dark Knight, even if it faded quickly.

Adrien Brody recently appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast and reflected on circling The Joker for Christopher Nolan. While he does admit that he was far from landing the role, he did express his amazement at both Ledger and what Nolan would do for the comic book world. “It was a role that I felt very suited to do. Heath did such a remarkable job in that movie. It was indelible. Such beautiful work. Any actor who has a degree of edge would like to delve into a dark character like that, especially with a filmmaker like Christopher Nolan who brought such a profound vision. And nobody was doing that at the time. There was nothing like that.” Brody added that the way Nolan shaped comic book movies would leave a mark on the industry, taking them to an elevated level they hadn’t been put at before. “It was a difference of, Are you gonna do a big studio movie and play a comic book hero or villain, whatever you’re suited for?…But it’s really broad and not necessarily the way that would feel fulfilling.”

As far as if he would ever help bring panels to life on the big screen, he added, “If I was presented with an opportunity to play an interesting character with a filmmaker that elevated me and gave me space to do something vastly different…in that world, it sounds amazing.” OK, so The Joker is out for Adrien Brody, so who could he play if he were to step into the Marvel or DC universes? I don’t see him as the hero type on that front but do see him able to nail a villain quite well (maybe a resurrection of Scarecrow?). It’s not out of the realm of possibility, and if he ends up winning the Oscar for The Brutalist (despite some controversy surrounding his performance), I could see those sorts of opportunities coming his way.

Which comic book character could you see Adrien Brody playing? Give us your ideal choice in the comments section below!