Fans shouldn't expect Joaquin Phoenix's clown prince of crime to cross paths with The Hangover trilogy, the New York-born director has shifted into much more dramatic fare in recent years. After directing the 2016 crime film, War Dogs, it was confirmed that he would bring to life a new incarnation of the iconic villain. With shades of Martin Scorsese's earlier work and standing distinctly apart from the established DCEU, Joker tells the story of Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) - a struggling stand-up comedian who, after a lifetime of being abused and downtrodden, finds himself developing a new persona and spiraling into madness.
The DCEU is set to continue in the coming years, however, with such sequels as return to a younger iteration of the character, Warner Bros. screen-tested multiple actors before ultimately settling on Pattinson earlier this year.
While speaking with a suspected connection to Batman v Superman, fuelled much speculation on social media over the last week.
Phillips went on to address the future of the character and comic book adaptations in general. "Oddly, in the states, comic books are our Shakespeare it seems, and you can do many many versions of 'Hamlet'," he said. "There will be many more jokers, I’m sure, in the future." The film is already poised for box office success, with early projections having it winning the coveted Golden Lion at the 2019 Venice Film Festival.
Phoenix prepared extensively for the role - to the point the potential for a sequel down the line.
Source: Variety
