In an era where superhero movies dominate the box office, DC Comics has had varying success. After Christopher Nolan’s phenomenal ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy, WB/DC released several disappointing films, including “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad.” However, recently the studio has rebounded with “Aquaman” and probably “Shazam!” It looks like “Joker” will be DC’s attempt to keep the winning streak alive.
As “Joker” will be set in an entirely different cinematic universe than the previous DCEU movies, this is clearly WB/DCs attempt to distance themselves from previous failures and start fresh. However, because of the popularity of the Joker, the stakes will be high.
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One thing that the film has going for it is its impressive cast. Starring Robert DeNiro (“The Godfather Pt. II”, “Raging Bull”), Zazie Beetz (“Atlanta”, “Deadpool 2”), and Joaquin Pheonix as the Joker (“Her”, “The Master”), there is a lot of talent for the director and scriptwriters to work with. This will be the fifth time that the Batman villain has been played on-screen, having been previously portrayed by Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Jared Leto. Though any actor playing the Joker has huge shoes to fill after Ledger’s legendary performance in “The Dark Knight,” Pheonix has shown himself to have an impressively wide acting range, including more intense roles, making him well-suited for a darker take on the Joker. The film is rumored to be an in-depth, gritty character study rather than a typical superhero film, possibly along similar lines as “Taxi Driver.”
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The part that may concern fans is the fact that it is directed by Todd Phillips, who is best known for films like the ‘Hangover‘ trilogy. Shifting from silly comedies to a dark character study of one of the most beloved characters in comic book history is a surprising turn for Phillips and may be the variable that determines whether this film is a success or another disappointing DC film.
“Joker” will be released on October 4.