Since the film's release a few months back,
Joker has led many fans to believe that it is set separate from the DC Extended Universe - but with no definitive statement ever given one way or the other and the already loose connective tissue between the films (especially when compared to the Marvel Cinematic Universe) it was unclear what the true answer was and left for fans to ultimately decide that answer for themselves.
That has now been put to rest, however, with the revelation of an introduction the film's script penned by Phillips and Silver. The introduction doesn't beat around the bush and comes straight out saying that there is no connectivity between the film with Joaquin Phoenix and any of the other previous movies. It was also stated recently that
Joker was initially pitched as the first film in a line called DC Black - a line of films alongside DC's main features that would allow filmmakers to explore their vision via low budget features and stories exploring DC's villains.
Check out the definitive introduction below and see for yourself where
Joker fits in the world of DC.
"This story takes place in its own universe. It has no connection to any of the DC films that have come before it. We see it as a classic Warner Bros. movie. Gritty, intimate and oddly funny, the characters live in the real world and the stakes are personal. Although it is never mentioned in the film, this story takes place in the past. Let's call it 1981. It's a troubled time. The crime rate in Gotham is at record highs. A garbage strike has crippled the city for the past six weeks. And the divide between the "haves" and the "havenots" is palpable. Dreams are beyond reach, slipping into delusions."
TP/SS
That doesn't really leave much room for speculation - but what are your thoughts on this piece of information? Does it change the way you see
Joker? And if you haven't seen it yet, check out the trailer below before the film finds its home release in a week!
Director Todd Phillips Joker centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone fictional story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society. A clown-for-hire by day, he aspires to be a stand-up comic at night…but finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty character study.
Joker will be available to own on Blu-Ray on January 7, 2020.