A rumor that Barry Keoghan is actually playing The Joker in Matt Reeves' The Batman has been doing the rounds online for a while now, and a social media post from the Eternals star's brother recently gave the report some credence. This was followed up by THR confirming that two different versions of the movie were test-screened, one "with a certain actor, and one without."
Although Keoghan was believed to have been cast as Gotham City PD officer Stanley Merkel when news of his involvement was first announced, it's starting to look like there might really be some truth to these Joker rumors. Now, some possible details on his mysterious character's appearance in The Batman have found their way online.
Based on what we can gather from several different sources, one cut of the movie features Keoghan as an unnamed prisoner in Arkham Asylum who occupies a cell next to/near The Riddler (Paul Dano). While he is glimpsed in the shadows and is said to have a few lines, there are no overt implications that this individual is The Joker - aside from his laugh, which is described as being "hyena like."
This should be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism for now, and even if it's legit, there's always a chance the scene in question won't make it into the theatrical cut of the film.
What do you guys think? Could there be any truth to the rumor that Barry Keoghan is playing The Joker in The Batman? Be sure to drop us a comment in the usual place.