The most diabolical adversary in the Dark Knight’s gallery of rogues is about to headline his own motion picture and the trailer reveals this look into the psyche of the Clown Prince of Crime is no joke!
Brace yourself! Although the internet has been permeated with images of actor Joaquin Phoenix in and out of full clown make-up, the Academy Award® Winner is blisteringly more frightening in the first trailer for the upcoming motion picture Joker. Directed by Todd Phillips this stand alone examination of The Batman’s most dangerous arch-enemy is promising to showcase only the man behind the sinister psychopath and not the caped and cowl crusader. The film is an origin story set years before Bruce Wayne’s crusade on crime.
Darkly haunting, the first trailer is meant to evoke a deeper more unsettling narrative, and not necessary inhabits a cinematic universe that includes recent DC blockbusters headliners like Wonder Woman and Aquaman. The since here is that the man who will become Gotham City’s most vile inhabit is living out “the one bad day” that has often been the common denominator of the leading theories behind The Joker’s incarnation. It’s established in the classic graphic novel The Killing Joke and remains much of the character’s motivation in The Dark Knight Returns.
Already many on the internet are seeing parallels with director Martin Scorsese; the filmmaker is known for his skill at humanizing and navigating even the darkest extremes into relatable situations. With The Joker among the DC Universe’s most complex personas, this deep dive into the makings of this monster is evoking familiarities with Heath Ledger’s interpretation of the character which won him numerous accolades and a posthumous Academy Award® for best Supporting Actor.
The Caped Crusader isn’t the only one getting some marquee appeal as fans eagerly anticipate the newest big screen interpretation of perhaps DC Comics most complicated villain.
Why So Serious?
With The Joker moving into the spotlight with not just this first full-length feature to premiere in the fall, another one is still in the works intended to center on Jared Leto’s take on the villain as he appeared in Suicide Squad, is Warner Bros. opening the door to similarly “Black Label” prestige looks at their DC comics properties? The less than stellar reception of the Justice League movie which was intended to inspire a cinematic universe in the same style as Marvel Studios own, has all-but jettisoned that idea, forcing the studio to course correct.
Perhaps if WB intends on keeping the DC brand afloat within its studio system, the direction may be to apply a more “adult oriented” approach. Recently the publishing imprint, decided on applying a new top title to some of its releases; with “Black Label” branding the idea is to present stories that have a prestige feel or are more graphic properties that exist outside of the DC Universe established continuity. The recent specialty series “Batman: Damned” is an example of fresh material, while a re-release of the best-selling “Watchmen” series has been “Black Label”.
Whatever fan expectations are for Joker it is certain that the film will undoubtedly raise eyebrows as it heads toward an anticipated R-rating, which may be just what the film’s director and Warner Bros. Pictures are hoping for. If the DC heroes can’t work together in a cinematic world, maybe its villains can emerge as the next marquee favorites, at least until another “crisis” appears on the horizon threatening to reboot the properties, simplifying the theatrical multiverse and gauging greater box-office appeal.
Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips will be coming to theaters on Oct 4.