According to Variety , comedian Marc Maron is in talks for a role in the upcoming Joker solo film. The film recently acquired veteran actor Robert De Niro for a role as well as Deadpool 2 star Zazie Beetz. Joaquin Phoenix ( Walk the Line , The Master ) is slated to play the title role of the Clown Prince of Crime.
The role will see Maron playing a booking agent on a talk show host’s show (played by De Niro) who plays a part in booking Phoenix’s character which later causes him to go mad and become the Joker. The news of Maron’s casting follows shortly after it was announced that Frances Conroy ( Six Feet Under , American Horror Story ) would also be joining the film.
The comedian and podcaster is currently in the midst of wrapping up Season 2 of Netflix’s Emmy-nominated show Glow so the upcoming role will certainly keep the actor busy during the show’s hiatus.
The film is currently set to start production in New York City this September and is slated for an October 2019 release. Joker will be directed by Todd Philips ( The Hangover , War Dogs ) and feature a script written by Scott Silver ( The Fighter , 8 Mile ).
At this time, not much is known in terms of plot details as to what the film will center on. Warner Bros. Studios described the film as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”
Joke seems to be a drastic change from some of Warner Bros. previous superhero films. The film’s tone will be different than some of the big blockbusters and also has a budget of $55 million which significantly less than the previous DC comics films.
Phoenix will join the long list of actors to take on the role of Batman’s greatest foe. Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and, most recently, Jared Leto have all taken on the role. Leto himself is currently in the process of working on his own standalone Joker film after portraying the character in Suicide Squad . Phoenix’s film will have no connection to Leto’s film.
2019 is shaping up to be a big year for DC. In addition to the release of Joke r , the studio currently has two other superhero films slated for release that year which includes Shazam! (April 5) and Wonder Woman 2 (November 1).
Fans have speculated the film may share ties with the upcoming Batman film helmed by Matt Reeves. However, there has been no official word from the studio that the film will share any ties in the current DC film universe.
