Superhero movies are usually pretty simple. They’re tales of good vs. evil, crusaders vs. criminals, and heroes vs. villains. Sit down to nearly any superhero movie, and we instantly know who to root for and against. But what if matters were more complicated than that? What if one of the most infamous villains in all of comics actually turned out to be the hero? In honor of the 10th anniversary of The Dark Knight, we introduce a theory that suggests that The Joker was actually Gotham's shining hope.

Superhero movies are usually pretty simple. They’re tales of good vs. evil, crusaders vs. criminals, and heroes vs. villains. Sit down to nearly any superhero movie, and we instantly know who to root for and against. But what if matters were more complicated than that? What if one of the most infamous villains in all of comics actually turned out to be the hero? In honor of the 10th anniversary of The Dark Knight, we introduce a theory that suggests that The Joker was actually Gotham's shining hope.