There's no doubt that lately, DC superhero movies haven't been able to keep up with Marvel.

Oh sure, maybe Shazam ended up being better than expected, but the Batman vs Superman and Justice League movies didn't exactly manage to glue moviegoers to their seats in quite the right way, and then when Endgame came out in cinemas it blew everything else in capes and tights out of the water.

But all that could be about to change based on the reception to the new Joker movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix. Taking inspiration from movies like Taxi Driver, this dark and edgy origin story has gotten fans interested in Gotham again, and apparently the premiere has been a hit with critics.

According to Variety, the movie, which is allegedly based on the classic 1988 Alan Moore comic: 'The Killing Joke' - received a whopping eight-minute-long standing ovation after it was premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. Joaquin Phoenix plays disaffected comedian, Arthur Fleck, who is driven to villainy after a psychotic mental breakdown. 

In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times,  director Todd Phillips stated: "We wanted to look at everything through as real and authentic a lens as possible. I don't believe that in the real world if you fell into a vat of acid you would turn white and have a smile and your hair would be green."

He added: "So you start backwards-engineering these things and it becomes really interesting. 'How about if he's a clown at one of these places where you rent out entertainment?' It was one of the most fun scripts to write because you were only breaking rules."

Meanwhile, Joaquin Phoenix stated: "There are certain areas of the character that frankly still aren't clear to me, and I'm fine with that. There's something enjoyable about not having to answer a lot of those questions. It requires a certain amount of participation from the audience that feels different."

Personally, I can't wait to check out this movie when it comes out in theatres. Only time will tell whether Phoenix's portrayal lives up to the high standards set by Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson.

There's no doubt that lately, DC superhero movies haven't been able to keep up with Marvel.

Oh sure, maybe Shazam ended up being better than expected, but the Batman vs Superman and Justice League movies didn't exactly manage to glue moviegoers to their seats in quite the right way, and then when Endgame came out in cinemas it blew everything else in capes and tights out of the water.

But all that could be about to change based on the reception to the new Joker movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix. Taking inspiration from movies like Taxi Driver, this dark and edgy origin story has gotten fans interested in Gotham again, and apparently the premiere has been a hit with critics.

According to Variety, the movie, which is allegedly based on the classic 1988 Alan Moore comic: 'The Killing Joke' - received a whopping eight-minute-long standing ovation after it was premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. Joaquin Phoenix plays disaffected comedian, Arthur Fleck, who is driven to villainy after a psychotic mental breakdown. 

In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times,  director Todd Phillips stated: "We wanted to look at everything through as real and authentic a lens as possible. I don't believe that in the real world if you fell into a vat of acid you would turn white and have a smile and your hair would be green."

He added: "So you start backwards-engineering these things and it becomes really interesting. 'How about if he's a clown at one of these places where you rent out entertainment?' It was one of the most fun scripts to write because you were only breaking rules."

Meanwhile, Joaquin Phoenix stated: "There are certain areas of the character that frankly still aren't clear to me, and I'm fine with that. There's something enjoyable about not having to answer a lot of those questions. It requires a certain amount of participation from the audience that feels different."

Personally, I can't wait to check out this movie when it comes out in theatres. Only time will tell whether Phoenix's portrayal lives up to the high standards set by Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson.