The moment we were waiting for, Batfleck’s costume was finally revealed last Tuesday. Batfans the world over either wailed in pain or yelled in triumph at the reveal. I, myself, had a delayed reaction. I was taken aback at first and wasn’t quite sure how to react, but I kept poring over the photo, examining the details of the suit. Hours later, I realized that I was quite pleased with it. The costume seems heavily influenced by Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and that makes me very happy.
As others pored over the photo, people started noticing something strange lurking in the bottom left corner of the photo, obscured by smoke. People began speculating that the rim and tire make up what appears to be a face. A face with a mischievous grin etched upon it. Could it be the Joker?
Here’s the original image
See it? Right behind Batfleck.
No? Don’t see it? Well, here’s an isolated photo:
Easily explained away, right? Just a happy coincidence, right…
But wait, there’s something else that EVERYBODY missed… until now.
Larry Fong is the director of photography on Batman vs. Superman and he’s a practitioner of social media. Like any other practitioner of social media, he likes to share. With anyone working in the industry, sharing really is caring and about three weeks prior to the Batfleck reveal, Fong put this up on his Instagram.
Oooh… suspicious. Why a playing card? I bet you’re probably thinking, “So what does this have to do with the Joker or Batman vs. Superman?” Well, the Joker part is purely speculation. I mean, when you think of playing cards and Batman, it’s generally the Joker… or the Royal Flush Gang. The Batman vs. Superman connection, however, is hinted at heavily based on one of Fong’s comments.
Replying to one of his followers, Fong says, “Let’s just say Superman (and Ricky Jay) taught me a couple things.” In case you’re confused, Ricky Jay is a magician known for card throwing. Whether or not there’s any truth to that is anybody’s guess. You should probably focus on the Superman part… Could this be a behind the scenes shot from Batman vs. Superman?
Let me make something clear: I prefaced with that Joker bit simply because all the speculation is centered around the photo being a hint at the Joker. In reality, there is nothing to confirm that. Larry Fong posted that photo on Instagram with nary an explanation or hashtag. The only real clue to its connection to Batman vs. Superman is the above comment. So, is this a hint at the Joker? Maybe. For the most part, given the coincidence with the rim and tire of the Batmobile, it’s tough to completely deny that claim altogether. This is pure speculation and nothing more, so make sure that box of salt is handy.
What do you think? Photo evidence of the Joker? Or just serendipity? Let me know.
Source – Larry Fong (Via ComicBookMovie)
