The actor who played what is arguably DC‘s most underrated Joker to date has an almost 30-year-long history working in the franchise’s projects, which makes their time as the Clown Prince of Crime all the more impressive. Several of the actors who have played the Joker over the years are still to this day some of the most famous superhero movie or show actors of all time, thanks to both the popularity of the Joker as a character, and the impressive quality of their performances.
However, not every actor who provides a solid performance as the Joker gets the same level of attention. Indeed, as a result of DC’s extensive on-screen history – and the fact many Batman projects get less long-term appreciation than the likes of The Dark Knight trilogy or Batman: The Animated Series – plenty of interesting depictions of the Joker have still fallen to the wayside in terms of attention.
One of the best examples of this, somewhat ironically, involves one of the most storied DC actors in the franchise’s history, who has had a wide range of roles in an assortment of DC shows, movies, and games over the years – though their biggest was that of the Joker, even if this performance is generally not given the same level of appreciation or attention that many other movie or show takes on the villain receive.
Kevin Michael Richardson Is Arguably DC’s Most Underrated Joker
Despite being nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards for his performance as the Joker, Kevin Michael Richardson’s time as the character is still often underappreciated in comparison to some of the most famous figures who’ve been cast in the role.
This is partially due to Richardson having voiced the Joker in an animated release – as generally, animated superhero movies and shows garner less attention than their live-action counterparts, with only a few exceptions – and partially due to Richardson’s Joker appearing in 2004-2008’s The Batman, which is itself often a show that falls to the wayside even when people are talking about animated Batman series.
In effect, this means The Batman and Kevin Michael Richardson’s Joker are equally underrated, as both are staggeringly interesting takes on the Dark Knight’s mythos, and all the more interesting because of the way they play with the pre-existing lore through things like altering designs and characterizations in ways that many other DC releases are reluctant to.
This is perhaps best evident when looking at how Kevin Michael Richardson depicts his iteration of the Joker, as the animated Clown Prince of Crime plays further into the more playful and unhinged prankster element of his character than a lot of other depictions do.
Between his red-eyed and shoeless design, his endlessly energetic but intelligent manner of speaking, and the decision to make him more of a physical threat for the Caped Crusader, there’s plenty to enjoy about the way The Batman show pulled off its version of the DC villain.
Kevin Michael Richardson’s DC Roles Expand Far Beyond Just The Joker
Kevin Michael Richardson’s Joker often being the most underrated rendition of the Joker is all the more of a shame given the voice actor has an extensive history with DC roles that ranges across the course of several decades.
Though Richardson’s role as the Joker is his biggest role with DC, the actor also played several roles in cult classic Teen Titans – including major villain Trigon – played the Joker again in The Batman Vs Dracula, and appeared in Batman: Under The Red Hood, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Static Shock, and Batman: The Brave & The Bold, to name but a few of the other series he’s performed in.
With the earliest of these roles being in 1996-1997’s Superman: The Animated Series, and the latest being in 2025’s animated movie Bat-Fam, it’s clear that Kevin Michael Richardson’s time with the franchise is likely to continue for many years to come – which makes his biggest role all the more noteworthy, and all the more impressive, since it seemingly helped cement a decades-long working tenure with DC overall.
