Hot Toys is best known for its 1/6th-scale figures, but the company has a few 1/4th-scale options for collectors. Now, we've learned that The Dark Knight's Joker will soon be among them.
Featuring a brand-new head sculpt, it's a shockingly lifelike take on the late Heath Ledger's Clown Prince of Crime and comes with real wool-implanted hair for extra realism. However, at this point, we should warn you that, along with likely boasting a hefty price tag (we'd expect it to be at least $600), this will be limited to only 2,000 units in selected markets.
Bundled with all manner of weapons and accessories, it looks like fans of The Dark Knight will be able to recreate any number of moments from the 2008 blockbuster helmed by Christopher Nolan.
While Joaquin Phoenix came close to reaching the same heights as Ledger in Joker (Suicide Squad star Jared Leto did not), many DC fans feel that no one has managed to top—and likely never will—what the Oscar-winning actor did in The Dark Knight.
Had Ledger not passed away, he'd have reprised the role in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. It's been said that it would have boiled down to little more than an Arkham Asylum-set cameo, though others believe he could have joined Bane in unleashing chaos on Gotham City.
In The Dark Knight, with the help of allies Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman has been able to keep a tight lid on crime in Gotham City. But when a vile young criminal calling himself the Joker suddenly throws the town into chaos, the caped Crusader begins to tread a fine line between heroism and vigilantism.
The movie's cast includes Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman. It would go on to become the first superhero movie to gross over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Check out this new Joker figure from Hot Toys in the Instagram gallery below.
The defining feature of this release is a newly crafted head sculpt, which was masterfully sculpted, painted, and hair-rooted by renowned artist Heise. Featuring separate rolling eyeballs and realistic makeup, the portrait captures every nuance of Ledger’s psychotic expression. His signature messy, curly green hair is precisely implanted using premium wool to recreate his unkempt look.
Complementing the sculpt is a specialized body with enhanced proportions that stands 46cm tall. Donning a movie-accurate costume that is newly tailored, the outfit includes his weathered purple trench coat, gray blazer, green vest, patterned shirt and tie, striped pants with suspenders and a metal chain, checkered socks, and shoes. The coat features a magnetic function, allowing the lapels to sit snugly against the coat. Furthermore, bendable wires are embedded throughout the lapels and collars of the garments, allowing collectors to slightly adjust them to capture the perfect look.
Rounding out this package is a massive array of weapons and accessories, including a pistol, revolver, submachine gun, shotgun, knife, shoe knives, detonator, lead pipe, pencil, Joker cards, and stacks of banknotes. Recreating one of the film’s most iconic moments, it also comes with a set of grenades that can be attached to a panel, which magnetically attaches to the inner lining of his coat. Finishing off this piece is a Gotham street-themed diorama base with destroyed Batpod diorama pieces.