Hot Toys Celebrates ‘The Dark Knight’ 10th Anniversary With New Joker and Batman Figures
Next year will be the 10th anniversary of the release of The Dark Knight, arguably one of the greatest superhero films ever made, and one of Christopher Nolan’s most celebrated films. A lot of that is due to the performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker, which was sadly his last, but also one of his most iconic and memorable. His version of the Joker went from getting some of the most vitriol from fans in any casting announcement to becoming the version cosplayed and revered more than any other. In celebration of this anniversary, Hot Toys has announced an all-new quarter-scale version of its popular Joker figure, complete with a new portrait that honors the man behind the make-up.
Teased at Comic-Con with the first prototype on display, the new 1/4 scale Joker has just about every bell and whistle the long sold out 1/6 scale version included when it released a few years back. The signature style of Ledger’s Joker, from the massive purple coat filled with grenades, to the mismatched socks and suit, to the handful of weapons the Clown Prince of Crime used in the film will be featured front and center. At 18.5” tall, it will be a phenomenal figure to add to any collection.
What makes it even more special are the new head sculpts being included. One will feature the grease-painted Joker’s face we all remember from the movie, though with an improved likeness from the original 1/6 scale figure. The other is a sculpt that has a gradient paint deco showing the Joker’s make-up fading away to reveal Ledger’s normal face below. It’s still scarred up, but sculptors JC. Hong and Yulli re-teamed for this new portrait, which is a great tribute.
Additionally, Hot Toys is releasing an all-new Batman Begins Batman figure in conjunction with this anniversary. If you're wondering why it’s not a The Dark Knight Batman, that’s because he technically received the very first 1/4 scale figure at Hot Toys in conjunction with its The Dark Knight Rises releases. This Batman Begins piece is no laughing matter though, as it not only comes with a fully suited Batman, it also converts to a spelunking Bruce Wayne thanks to the handy Christian Bale likeness and rappelling belts included.
This figure also comes with three different jaw pieces for Batman in the cowl. That means you can get that great “Swear to me!” moment captured in perpetuity on your shelf.
The Hot Toys Batman Begins Batman quarter-scale figure is available for pre-order now through Sideshow Collectibles for $485, and is due to arrive in Q3 2018. The Hot Toys The Dark Knight Joker quarter-scale figure is also available for pre-order now for $540, and is expected to ship in Q3 2018.