Karen Gillan feels like it’s “her calling” to one day play The Joker for DC

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

A while back, actress Karen Gillan planted her flag in the pop culture landscape by becoming Amy Pond in the BBC's DOCTOR WHO and Nebula in James Gunn's GUARDIANS OF THE GALXY film series. Recently, during a panel at Florida SuperCon, Gillan was asked if she'd be willing to play for the other team, by becoming another character in the geek culture spectrum.

With much enthusiasm, Gillan asked, "Oh, can I say something DC?" Gillain questioned. "Okay, I’m going to say something DC, and I’m going to play the Joker. Maybe a female Joker." With this notion floating about the room, a fan then informed Gillan that a female Joker isn't entirely out of the realm of possibilities. After all, Martha Wayne had taken up the role of The Joker during DC's Flashpoint event back in 2011. There's also a second option in the character of Duela Dent, The Joker's Daughter.

Duela made her first appearance back in 1976 within the pages of Batman Family #6. In the post-New 52 DC continuity, Duela appears as a young and psychotic woman who dwells beneath the streets of Gotham City. Upon finding The Joker's severed face (in the aftermath of Batman's Death of the Family event), Duela decides to wear it as a mask and proclaims herself to be the fallen villain's daughter.

With these wild options fresh in her mind, Gillan responded with a gasp by saying, "This is my calling! Somebody make a call for me and let them know I'm available."

Not long ago, at San Diego Comic Con, the DCEU announced plans for a Flashpoint movie. Here's the thing though, the role of Martha Wayne has already been taken up by THE WALKING DEAD's Lauren Cohan, as established in BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. Also, as much as I would enjoy seeing Gillan's take on the iconic Clown Prince of Crime, her dance card is very much full what with AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, AVENGERS 4, and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3 all waiting for their chance to hit the floor and boogie on down. 

What do you think about the notion of Gillan performing as a gender-swapped Joker, or the Joker's Daughter, if that were the case? For me, the core of the Flashpoint theme is to really mix things up. With that in mind, it's not entirely out of the question for a female Joker to exist as part of an alternate timeline/reality. It's a fun idea to play around with, no doubt.

Don't forget you can catch Karen Gillan when she stars as Ruby Roundhouse in Jake Kasdan's JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, which set for a December 20th release. 

Source: Comicbook.com

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.