The Batman director Matt Reeves recently unveiled a deleted scene from the film that features an extended appearance by the Dark Knight’s archenemy the Joker. The Joker made a cameo appearance at the end of The Batman where he was played by Barry Keoghan. The short scene takes place at Arkham Asylum and features Paul Dano’s the Riddler having an exchange with the Clown Prince of Crime, who sits in an adjacent cell. The two form an easy friendship as Joker commends Riddler for flooding Gotham, possible hinting at a team-up in a future film. The deleted scene was posted on the ratalada website, which features several pieces of viral marketing for the film, and takes place during the early half of the movie.
In Reeves’ five-minute clip, Batman goes to visit the Joker in Arkham Asylum to get his perspective on the Riddler’s killings. Featuring a tone similar to the relationship between Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, Joker initially mocks Batman before giving his perspective on the Riddler. Glancing at the Riddler’s crime scene photos, Joker advises Batman that the Riddler is probably an individual who has felt oppressed for his entire life. Explaining further, Joker says that the Riddler sees the killings as an attempt at righteousness and revenge.
While the interaction between Batman and the Joker has intrigued fans, most were more interested in the appearance of the villain. Keoghan’s Joker is shown to be unlike other versions of the character, sporting a scarred and deformed face. Nevertheless, some attributes of the character remained similar to traditional depictions. Keoghan’s Joker is shown to have a wide smile and green hair, although the hair on this version is shown to be very patchy. Many fans thought the character bore a slight resemblance to the Joker from the 2012 miniseries Batman: Death of the Family. This story portrays Joker as a particularly psychotic and violent villain, having cut off his own face and worn the skin of it as a mask.
Currently in its third week of release, The Batman has made an impressive $600 million worldwide at the box office. A critical hit as well, the film will soon be getting a spinoff television series centered on Colin Farrell’s the Penguin, which will be released on HBO Max. The film itself will have its HBO Max release on April 19.
