Thornton has never played Joker but used the character as inspiration for Art the Clown, he said. He also riffed on characters like Jason, Pinhead, Freddy Krueger, Chucky, and Jigsaw.

With 2024’s Christmas-themed Terrifier 3 becoming a mainstream Halloween season horror hit, Art the Clown finally graduated to a modern-day Jason Voorhees, with Terrifier 4 also in the works.

By all means, Art the Clown’s feet seem ideal to step into past performer’s footsteps as DC’s most iconic villain, and Thornton seems like he wouldn’t need to be asked twice to take the role.

In comparison, the widely panned "Joker 2" made $7 million this weekend. Fans say the success of "Terrifier 3" has cemented its lead character, the demonic, mute serial killer Art the Clown, as a ...