A behind-the-scenes photo of Batwoman gives fans their first look at the Arroweverse's comics-accurate Joker.
Posted to Instagram by Kendrick Jackson, the image shows the actor alongside The Joker, depicted with his iconic purple suit and trademark acid-green hair. The uncredited actor also sports the recognizable yellow waistcoat, loud tie and red lips comic book enthusiasts have come to associate with Batman's nemesis. While fans who tuned in to the latest episode "We're All Mad Here" were treated to a view of the Prince of Crime from the back, the behind-the-scenes photo gives viewers a better look at the villain's design.
The Joker's fleeting appearance in Batwoman marks the first time the character has been depicted in the Arrowverse, albeit in a limited capacity. The maniacal villain is shown hijacking a school bus, an event that is closely tied to the origin story of Season 3's villain Marquis Jet (Nick Creegan), whose younger self is played by Jackson.
Creegan recently opened up about how it feels to be the first Black actor to play The Joker, arguably DC Comics' most iconic villain. "It's crazy," Creegan said. "It's wild, actually. Yeah, I've done a lot of processing the past few weeks, months, you know? It's still surreal to me. It's been a wild ride for me." The actor went on to say that the outpouring of support from fans has been "overwhelming," concluding that playing the character has been "a fun ride."
While Creegan's portrayal of The Clown Prince of Crime is unique in its own right, the actor also revealed that he was heavily influenced by Jared Leto's take on the villain in Suicide Squad. "[T]he thing that I really liked about his Joker was how different it was than every other rendition, right? He was wearing chains and he had gold teeth. And he was just like this new, edgy, different version of the Joker," said Creegan. While Leto was a major influence, he also noted that he didn't shy away from taking aspects of Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) and Joaquin Phoenix's Joker and incorporating them into his own performance.
Fans wanting to learn how Marquis turned into the sinister villain plaguing Ryan Wilder in the latest season of Batwoman can catch new episodes on Wednesdays on The CW.
Source: Instagram