Warning: This story contains major spoilers for The Batman
The Batman introduced audiences to a new version of Bruce Wayne, one that is darker, more grounded, with an extra dose of emo. Robert Pattinson’s performance has been praised by fans and critics alike, with the movie’s villain, Paul Dano’s Riddler similarly loved. The Dark Knight is only as good as his enemies and none other have had the same impact or following than The Joker. Joaquin Phoenix’s rendition from the 2019 film won’t be making an appearance as The Eternals star Barry Keoghan shocked fans with his reveal at the end of the film.
Director Matt Reeves has finally opened up on Keoghan’s portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime. He may have been introduced at the end of the film, clearly signifying his presence in a sequel, but his journey will be more complicated than that.
Best known for his appearance in Marvel’s The Eternals, Keoghan is now following in a long line of beloved Joker performances. With The Batman topping $450 million at the global box office so far, his reappearance is all but guaranteed.
However, Reeves has stressed it isn’t that simple. Speaking to DC Stardom, he said: “[The cameo] at the end of the movie is really more contextual [for the universe], so I can’t say whether we would do him, specifically, in the movies or not.”
He then explained that this was Joker’s early days as much as it was Batman’s.
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He added: “What you’re seeing is a pre-Joker Joker, actually. We go back to the Conrad Veidt, The Man Who Laughs inspiration, which is a Bob Kane-Bill Finger reference. Obviously, that guy has a congenital disease. He’s sort of like Phantom of the Opera, he can’t not smile. Instead of being like the story of the Elephant Man, where his grotesque outward appearance sort of belied the beautiful inside, this would form his nihilistic worldview and he would have an insidious understanding of human nature. That’s kind of where this psychology comes from in who this guy would be.”
There is more than one place Joker could appear, as there is far more in development than just the potential sequel.
Multiple spin-offs are in development, with one of them recently being confirmed for production.
Even less is known about this show, though it started life as a Gotham PD series and slowly turned into an Arkham-centric one.
Arkham Asylum is the mental institution that houses all of Batman’s most dangerous villains. This is where Riddler ended up at the end of the movie and exactly where he encountered Joker.
If the show takes place immediately after the events of the film, it could be the perfect way to see Joker changed from this “pre-Joker” version of the character and into the maniacal villain fans know.
The Batman is available to watch in cinemas now
Published at Mon, 14 Mar 2022 14:49:23 +0000
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