Exploring David Bowie’s influence over the Joker
David Bowie wasn’t just one of the most iconic rockstars in history; he was a quasi-mythological presence in the collective consciousness of humanity. While his music shaped popular culture in innumerable ways and continues to do so, Bowie’s magic was also fuelled by his expert utilisation of his dynamic personae.
Although Bowie worked on many iconic cinematic projects like The Man Who Fell to Earth as an actor, his persona also had an impact on other beloved characters. One of the greatest examples of this cultural effect is a very surprising one since most fans probably won’t associate Bowie with the Joker at first.
When Frank Miller was thinking about his version of the Joker, he had David Bowie in mind. Since this coincided with the height of Bowie’s commercial success, the rockstar’s persona seeped into Miller’s artistic sensibilities, and his reconceptualisation of the Joker looked a lot like the album art of Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).
Miller’s seminal 1986 comic book – The Dark Knight Returns – remains an integral part of the evolution of the widely beloved character. At one point, Joel Schumacher pitched a potential adaptation to Warner Bros., but they cancelled it in favour of other projects. From the reports that have surfaced, Bowie was being considered to play the Joker opposite Micheal Keaton or Clint Eastwood as Batman.
Bowie didn’t just influence Miller’s version but also Grant Morrison’s stories, where the Joker crafted multiple personae just like Bowie. While Bowie’s stage presence heavily inspired the aesthetic framework of Morrison’s Joker, a direct reference can be found in the Joker’s “Thin White Duke of Death” persona, which pays tribute to Bowie’s “Thin White Duke”.
During an interview, Miller revealed that he once had an argument with Alan Moore because of his interpretation of the Joker. Miller said: “I took a much more arched view because I believe that the Joker is not so much insane as satanic. He’s evil incarnate, and he’s so malicious that it goes beyond anything we could understand. That’s what’s so terrifying about him, is that he simply wants to do as much harm and damage as he possibly can.”
That’s why he thought Bowie was the perfect casting choice. He added: “Yeah, if I had to cast the Joker from Dark Knight, I probably would have used David Bowie, who I think was capable of great menace.” Since then, other actors have played the iconic role in their own ways (including Jared Leto who was directly inspired by Bowie) but it would have been truly fascinating to witness the dark majesty of Bowie’s Joker.
