A rumor that Barry Keoghan is actually playing The Joker in Matt Reeves' The Batman did the rounds last week, and while we didn't pay too much attention to it at the time, a post from the Eternals star's brother has now given the report some credence.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Eric Keoghan wrote, "So it's finally out My Brother playing the JOKER in the new Batman Unreal Stuff."
When Keoghan's casting was first announced last year, his role wasn't named, but it later emerged that he was playing Gotham City PD officer Stanley Merkel. If the actor really is portraying the Clown Prince of Crime, there's a chance Merkel - who was Jim Gordon's partner in the comics before being killed off - will be reimagined as the villain. Or, the Merkel news was put out as a cover story.
We're still a little sceptical about this, truth be told, but the rumor has been picking up steam online, and the post from Keoghan's brother is too intriguing to ignore. He might simply be playing along and having a bit of fun, but the fact that he then deleted it may speak volumes.
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.