The JOKER Origin Film Potentially Starring Joaquin Phoenix Has Something In Common With THE KILLING JOKE

The JOKER Origin Film Potentially Starring Joaquin Phoenix Has Something In Common With THE KILLING JOKE

In the wake of Justice Leauge's box office failure and the overall uncertainty surrounding the DCEU, Warner Bros. is moving ahead with an out-of-continuity origin film for Batman archnemesis, the Joker.

News
By MarkJulian - Mar 08, 2018 01:03 PM EST
Filed Under: Joker
Source: The Wrap
Joaquin Phoenix hasn't signed the dotted line to star in director Todd Phillips and Martin Scorsese's planned origin film for the Joker just yet, but he's reportedly very close. 

The Wrap is reporting that the film's plot is similar in tone to Scorsese's 1982 film, King of Comedy, which starred Robert De Niro as a down-on-his-luck stand-up comedian who can't find work.  The site is reporting that the Joker pic will also portray Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime as "a failed 1980s comedian who becomes the clown prince of crime after bombing with audiences."

This description also draws parallels to Alan Moore's 1988 graphic novel, The Killing Joke, which also depicted the Joker as a comedian who suddenly lost his marbles.  The film is expected to anchor a new"unnamed" line of DC Comics adaptations that tell stories outside of the cinematic universe that's home to Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill's Superman and Ben Affleck's Batman.

In addition to this new banner, WB and DC Entertainment are also launching a new streaming platform in late-2018 that will be the exclusive home of Young Justice season 3, a live-action Teen Titans series and a live-action Metropolis series that depicts life in the fictional megacity prior to Superman's arrival.

Even though the DCEU might be in a bit of a tailspin, there are still plenty of upcoming projects to look forward to in 2018 and beyond.

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VictorKrueger
VictorKrueger - 3/8/2018, 1:17 PM
WB/DC is just making no sense of their universe.

They are piecing together this universe like a mess.
A Joker ORIGIN story with a different Joker?

To quote the movie Christine, "That's like putting broken windshield wipers on a broken windshield."
Nebula
Nebula - 3/8/2018, 1:18 PM
a live-action Metropolis series that depicts life in the fictional megacity prior to Superman's arrival.
So just some boring, old, city-based soap opera?
aflynn
aflynn - 3/8/2018, 1:20 PM
@Nebula - Come for the Superman name, stay to watch Jimmy Olsen search for internet porn and eat a sandwich.
Kyos
Kyos - 3/8/2018, 1:24 PM
@aflynn - Hey, at least Jimmy Olsen is alive.
aflynn
aflynn - 3/8/2018, 1:19 PM
DC film about bombing with audiences, how meta.
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 3/8/2018, 1:19 PM
I'm on the fence about this film but I'm not sure why people always say the Joker should have no origin. Some of the most popular Batman media has depicted Joker's origin. The Killing Joke, Batman 89 and even the Animated Series.
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 3/8/2018, 1:20 PM
Aside from anything, it's common knowledge that in nearly all adaptations the Joker fell into a chemical bath. So his origin isn't some big mystery.
Darkknight2149
Darkknight2149 - 3/8/2018, 4:30 PM
@Nightwing1015 -
Because, like Hannibal Lecter, the Joker is one of those characters that you can't quantify. Even the Joker says that he remembers his origin differently every time he recalls it. And while most of his origins involve a chemical bath, there are multiple versions of that occurring under several different circumstances, and even that is up in the air. And every time the Joker is ever given a definitive origin in the comics, it's almost always retconned soon after.

And no, The Killing Joke origin was an unreliable recollection told by the Joker himself, who admits in the same story that he prefers to keep his backstory "multiple choice". Batman (1989) takes so many liberties, it might as well be an Elseworlds story. Batman: The Animated Series started off as a cross between the comics Batman and the Tim Burton Batman, but became more like the comics as the DC Animated Universe went on. For instance, it's stated in an episode of The Animated Series that his real name is Jack Napier, but according to Batman Beyond and Justice League, his real name is unknown.
Darkknight2149
Darkknight2149 - 3/8/2018, 4:40 PM
And this origin profile released by DC just shows that his origin is a mystery.
Pedrito
Pedrito - 3/8/2018, 1:19 PM
They should just make a Joker origin, a prequel, and a sequel to the prequel. All released in the same year with different actors.
Menks123
Menks123 - 3/8/2018, 1:19 PM
No thanks. Stupid idea.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 3/8/2018, 1:20 PM
ThePhantazm
ThePhantazm - 3/8/2018, 1:20 PM
So I have to say it. I think Killing Joke is overrated. I don't like the idea of joker even having an origin in movies or comics. The mystery is part of what made heath ledgers joker so compelling.
fundamentallyOT
fundamentallyOT - 3/8/2018, 1:22 PM
So, basically Mr. Phoenix will be portraying this:
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