"Hold on": Fans react as Bill Skarsgård says he’d love to play The Joker, calling it “very sick”

Bill Skarsgård isn’t just some guy who plays creepy characters. He’s THAT GUY! The one who turned Pennywise into a nightmare machine, slayed the indie scene, and is now out here casually hinting he might go full Joker-mode. The man who made us afraid of red balloons just announced he’s got a “really cool Joker” locked and loaded.

On a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, hosted by Josh Horowitz, Bill revealed that he grew up obsessed with Batman–– having Batcave dreams and Batarang fantasies. But our boy wants to play Batman and The Joker.

“Maybe both?” he joked. “I can be sort of a schizophrenic.”

Naturally, the internet went bananas. One X (formerly Twitter) user summed up everyone’s reaction with a simple, “Hold on.”

A user humorously mentioned: "Writing a Dear James Gunn letter instead of a Dear Santa letter in 2025."

A user called it a "PEAK CASTING."

A comment read: "Make him batman and resurrect Heath Ledger."

Another comment read: "Bro became the final boss on villains."

A user went on to declare: "I SAY GIVE THIS MAN THE JOB!!!"

A user suggested: "Can I have Alex as Lex and Bill as Joker so then the Skarsgard brothers are the main two of the Legion of Doom."

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Why Skarsgård as Joker is perfect?

Bill Skarsgård knows how to embody dark, twisted characters that crawl under your skin. From Pennywise in It to his haunting new turn as Count Orlok in Nosferatu, the dude just gets it.

And when he said he’s got a “really cool Joker in me,” you could practically hear the DC fandom gasping in unison. Playing the Joker next to such greats as Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, and, yes, Jared Leto, must feel like quite the challenge for Skarsgård.

But if anyone can start a new arc to the Clown Prince of Crime storyline, it’s him.

Would he bring Pennywise’s chilling unpredictability? Maybe channel some Nosferatu brooding? One thing’s for sure—it wouldn’t be boring.

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Timing is everything

Let’s talk timing because Bill’s interest couldn’t come at a juicier moment. The DC Universe is in the middle of a major glow-up under new leadership. With projects like The Brave and the Bold on the horizon (potentially featuring both Batman and The Joker), there’s never been a better time to shake up the casting.

Could we see Bill donning the purple suit and green hair in a future Batman flick? While it’s all speculation for now, the thought of him facing off against Robert Pattinson’s emo-Bats has the internet collectively screaming.

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Skarsgård’s spooky résumé

Here’s the TL;DR on Bill Skarsgård. He’s Swedish and comes from an acting dynasty (his dad is Thor's Stellan Skarsgård).

After giving us nightmares with Pennywise, he took on a string of other darker and layered characters. Most recently, he took on Count Orlok in the reimagined Nosferatu, with other leading roles taken by Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult.

The OG silent horror film released in 1922 receives a new 2024 version by Robert Eggers, director of The Lighthouse and The Northman. Skarsgård delivers a captivatingly sinister Count Orlok, and Lily-Rose Depp’s Ellen Hutter commands the spotlight.

When the main antagonist is supported by Willem Dafoe and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, this movie is pretty much a horror version of Avengers.

It debuted at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this month and in theaters worldwide during Christmas day.