While you might be a Nicholson fan or a Phoenix enjoyer, there's not much you can say to convince most people that Heath Ledger isn't the best live-action performance of the Joker we've seen. That awesome performance makes a lot of people protective of it, perhaps no one more so than Christopher Nolan.
Back when the 2019 Joker was being written, there was an idea to have Joaquin Phoenix's Joker carve his face in front of his followers. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Nolan killed that idea, as he only wanted Ledger's joker to have his face be carved.
Years later, the idea was picked back up again for the sequel. Without Nolan around to defend Ledger's performance and identity, the idea went ahead. It's a small thing, but it seems that even with face-carving, Joker: Folie à Deux isn't holding a candle to the original movie, both in terms of box office and the critic reception. Check out our review here.