The Joker is Batman's archenemy, a criminal mastermind, a sadistic psychopath, a goofy prankster, and the greatest DC Comics supervillain. (Sorry, Codpiece.) Over the years, we've seen The Joker brilliantly portrayed by Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson and Mark Hamill. Most recently, the character was portrayed by Jared Leto in Suicide Squad. This version got mixed reviews, with critics dubbing it 'Hot Topic Juggalo.'
A bit much, right? Well, if you weren't a fan of the Insane Clown Posse version, great news. Warner Bros. is making a new movie about The Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix as the classic villain. The film takes place in the 80's, and will show how failed stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck became the Clown Prince Of Crime.
That's right, it's an origin story, explaining things that probably don't need to be explained. Hopefully, as far as prequels go, it'll be closer to Better Call Saul than The Phantom Menace. The Joker will be directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Old School) and executive produced by living legend Martin Scorsese (like a million classic movies). Robert DeNiro costars, but his character hasn't been revealed. (Fingers crossed, Catwoman?)
Last week Todd Phillips shared the first photo of Phoenix as Arthur Fleck.
But who cares about Normcore Joaquin Phoenix? We want to see the Joker! Today, Phillips shared the first footage of the Her star in The Joker make-up.
This footage is from a camera test, so it might not be the final version of the character. However, it's more than enough for the internet to weigh in. How does Phoenix's joker compare with the previous versions?
The good (GET HYPE) The bad (Worst. Joker. Ever.) The reasonable (Let's not forget that when Heath Ledger was announced as The Joker, the internet slammed him. Now he's the G.O.A.T.) The funny (People did not stan Hot Topic Juggalo)Reportedly The Joker origin story will be more like a gritty crime drama than a typical superhero movie. Rumor has it they're going for a vibe similar to Scorsese's underrated classic drama, The King Of Comedy. (That film starred Robert DeNiro as a struggling stand-up who kidnapped a talk show host, played by Jerry Lewis, to try to get airtime.) The Joker origin film hits theaters October 4, 2019.
However, if you're one of those weirdos who loves Jared Leto's Joker, great news! Warner Bros is still developing multiple films starring his version of The Joker. Reportedly Leto's Joker will appear in a collaboration movie with Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie), the Harley Quinn solo movie, Suicide Squad 2, and Gotham City Sirens (a spin-off with Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman).
But since they're all still in development, so who knows? They all could happen, or none of them could happen. The only thing you can count on for sure in this world is that Batman movies will never stop.
