While the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is in full swing with the upcoming release of its newest film Shazam !, its other ancillary movies are also making their presence known. One of those movies is Joker directed by Todd Phillips, starring Joaquin Phoenix. The director recently took to Instagram with a new picture of Phoenix as the iconic Batman villain, with the caption announcing that the post-production work for the film has now begun.
This iteration of Joker is the latest in a long line of portrayals that saw Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and, more recently, Jared Leto, in the role of Batman’s most legendary arch nemesis. The new Joker movie is an exploration of the character and a cautionary tale, described by the film’s synopsis, as covered by CBR.com . The film centers around Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) who transforms himself into the iconic villain due to circumstances and bad timing. While not a lot else is known about the film, it has been confirmed as a period drama set in the ’80s, and it is touted as a standalone origin story for the Joker. The movie seems to be following the storyline from the events depicted in the comic book The Killing Joke, as described by Screen Rant.
Throughout the production of Joker , there have been many videos and set pictures released, as detailed in another Screen Rant report. After a quiet few months, director Todd Phillips ( The Hangover ) shares a new picture of Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character. The image, shared on Phillips’ Instagram , shows Phoenix in costume, but without make-up, sitting contemplatively in front of an old television set, with some VHS tapes strewn about underneath. Phillips captioned the picture with “Editing #Joker”, announcing that film has gone into post-production stages.
The plans for Joker come at a time when the Warner Bros. is, seemingly, moving away from an interconnected universe like the DCEU, and focusing more on standalone films that tell the stories of its vast array of DC Comics characters. WB’s plans to create a shared universe similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have resulted in mixed reviews and less than anticipated box office performances of their films, such as Justice League . Joker would be the first film in a wave of movies aimed at single adventure stories that, at least for now, have no connectivity to the DCEU at large.
Joker stars an all-star cast of Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Marc Maron, and Zazie Beetz. The film is scheduled to be released on October 4.
