Joaquin Phoenix has been touted as the next actor to portray the Joker. In an interview with Fandango, Phoenix addressed the possibility of playing the Clown Prince of Crime. Telling the interviewer when asked if he’d do a superhero movie…
I see it as any other movie, I wouldn’t say… ‘I won’t do Westerns.’ It depends on what it is. I don’t really care about the genre, I care about the character and the filmmaker. If you have the ability to transcend the genre, then that’s what you want to do. So I wouldn’t say, hands down, no – I wouldn’t do that kind of movie.
The premise of the movie is a Joker origin story, of sorts, but not connected to the current DC cinematic universe. Todd Phillips would be directing, with Martin Scorsese producing. The story would draw inspiration from Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, but not being an adaptation. Allowing for some creativity from Phillips and the writers.
Super Heroic Portrayal
This would be Joaquin Phoenix’s first step into the superhero territory, as well as being one of his most high-profile roles. The Joker is such an iconic personality within pop culture nowadays. It will be interesting to see what Phoenix can add to the already complex character. Jack Nicholson and the late Heath Ledger both portrayed The Joker in Batman (1989) and The Dark Knight (2008) respectively.