Mark Hamill explains why the Batman Arkham games allowed him to be "a whole new Joker"

Rocksteady Games
(Image credit: Warner Bros Interactive)

One of the most celebrated actors to portray The Joker across all media is actor Mark Hamill. First taking on the role in 1992's Batm𒆙an: The Animated Series, he quic🀅kly became a fan-favorite for his raucous yet still chilling take on the character, serving as a great foil to late Batman actor Kevin Conroy in the classic show and the subsequent animated movies and video games in the decades that followed.

Recently, with the 12th anniversary of Batman: Arkham City, Mark Hamill took 🧸to Twitter to share his insights on playing the Joker over the years, and how tꦿhe celebrated Batman Arkham series allowed him to be a "whole new Joker."

, Hamill expressed how the Batman Arkham games from developer Rocksteady Studios allowed him to explore a more gritty and violent side of the Batman mythos for a more mature audience. Famously, Batman: The Ani🥀mated Series and Tim Burton's Batman helped reintroduce Batman as a dark hero, moving away from the popular, still greatly entertaining Adam West era of Batman. 

The Anim𝔍ated Series was a surprisingly dark show for children's audiences, but despite the darker storylines, it became a popular show for kids and older viewers alike. However, the series came into conflict with TV studios over its subject matter and violence, and key creatives such as writer Paul Dini had to tone down some stories to fit the television standards of the time.

With the Batman Arkham games, many of the original creatives c𒐪ame back to work on the game - such as Conroy as Batman, Hamill as Joker, and TAS writer Paul Dini. The resul꧂ting games were not only fantastic superhero games that shook the stigma attached to them, but they also were great Batman stories that allowed fan-favorite actors to explore a different interpretation that focused on more mature stories.

While the "Arkhamverse" Joker saw something of origin story in the underrated and excellent Arkham Origins - played by Troy Baker - most fans view Rocksteady's core games as the main plot. Arkham City, in particular, is a high point🍨 of the series for many, which closed out with the surprising death of The Joker, leading to an even more shocking "revival" in Arkham Knight, which then closed out his story within the series. The Arkham games did a particularly good job of showcasing a unique dynamic between Batman and The Joker that was only shown a glimpse in The Animated Series, detailing an almost certainty to their conflict.

Mark Hamill's work on the Batman Arkham series is arguably his best as the character. Following 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:the passing of Kevin Conroy, Hamill said that he felt his time as the Joker is done, stating in interviews that returning to the character without Conroy wouldn't feel right. Still, the Batman Arkham games are a testament to the two actors' unique dynamic for their rol🔴es, which sits comfortably alongside their work on The Animated Series.

With 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Marvel's Spider-Man 2 finally here, there's a whole lot of competition among the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best superhero games.

Alessandro is a freelance writer and editor based in the San Francisco Bay Area who has covered the games, tech, and entertainment industries for more than 13 years. Having previously worked at GameSpot, CNET, and various other outlets writing features and coordinating event coverage, Alessandro enjoys playing games on PC, but♑ also gives plenty of time to his Nintendo Switch. You can find him on various socials at @afillari.