Joaquin Phoenix Could Be Playing The Joker In An Upcoming Standalone Movie

The words “Holy shit” and “what the fuck” were used to describe the news of Joaquin Phoenix is in talks to play the Joker in an upcoming standalone film.

Variety is reporting that Warner Bros are looking at Phoenix to play the Clown Prince of Crime in Todd Phillips’ untitled Joker origin film.

Even though negotiations haven’t started, Phillips has told the studio that the Gladiator star is his top choice (after rumours of Leonardo DiCaprio didn’t pan out) with their source even saying the actor has signed to play the role.

The US website went on to add that director Phillips did meet with Phoenix before the new year and it looks like he’s waiting for the studio to give the go ahead.

The Hangover director will be co-writing, with Scott Silver, and helming the project which will fall under the new yet-to-be-announced banner of DC Comic movies. WB’s aim to create opportunities to expand the canon and tell unique stories around these iconic DC characters that won’t be apart of the current DCU.

Basically, these films will be one and done films giving a different point of view. For example, Batman set in Victorian Gotham or what if Superman was raised in Russia.

The idea behind this Joker movie is it’ll be set in the 80s and will be more of a “gritty crime drama than a comic book.”

This wouldn’t be the first time Phoenix has been rumoured for a comic-book character as he was previously looked at being Lex Luther in Batman v Superman, but he passed on the role. He similarly passed on the role of Doctor Strange and was in talks with Marvel.

Obviously, he could pass on this role as well but the difference is those roles were to be apart of a larger universe and sign a multi-film contract. Whereas this role would be a one-and-done like any other role.

Finally, Variety’s sources wanted to stress that Jared Leto (who starred in Suicide Squad) is still the Joker in the DC Universe and is likely to reprise the role in Suicide Squad 2 and that Phoenix’s film will not affect the character in any way in Leto’s future in future DC Films.

IMAGE VIA CLAY ENOS/ WARNER BROS

I’m sure people will be confused by this news or when the first trailer comes out, but I’ll not that worried as I people are smarter to realise these are different films with different ideas of the character. It’ll just need good marketing and the name of this banner to help clarify everything between the DCU and, with my money going on, Elseworlds.

As Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson stated this has become a modern-day Shakespearian role for actors.

The Joker is like the new Hamlet, the role every actor wants to play to show they are they best.

— Scott Derrickson (@scottderrickson) 8 February 2018