The planned “Joker origin movie” has moved out of the planning stages and heads into production. Principal photography commences in May of 2018. No one has been cast in the role of the “Clown Prince of Crime” as of yet. Joaquin Phoenix was in talks to take on the role, but actual casting hasn’t been confirmed.
Interestingly, the Joker origin film takes place in the 1980’s and follows a crime genre approach. Martin Scorcese handles producing duties so the film may blend comic book movies with “gangster life story” melodrama. The end result could be one of the more intriguing comic book films ever made.
Building a film around a villain can be a risk though. In the 1970’s, The Joker received his own comic book title and it flopped. Despite the character’s enormous popularity with Batman fans, customers weren’t interested in a book featuring a bad guy. Motion pictures presenting a strong anti-hero, however, have proven to be successful. Perhaps The Joker may become a fantasy version of Scarface.
The Joker origin movie also shows Warner Bros. has decided to produce DC Comics films outside of the current DC Extended Universe. No one should be surprised at the studio’s decision. The DCEU is on shaky ground with fans. The box office disappointment of Justice League shows audiences have tired of the poorly-conceived shared universe. Going outside of that universe allows Warner Bros. to breathe additional life into heroes and villains who lost a little luster due to the DCEU failures.
The Joker film won’t be the only forthcoming project outside of the DCEU. The next solo Batman film, originally planned as part of the DCEU, won’t be connected to the recent Ben Affleck films.
The new Joker film may even create a new universe of alternative continuity featuring DC Comics heroes. Perhaps the film might be the beginning of a replacement for the faltering DCEU.
