As far as superhero films in 2019 go, all eyes seem to be on the upcoming “Avengers: Endgame.” Obviously, that’s the one that is going to make $2 billion and break all sorts of records. But if you’re talking about which superhero film is going to be the most interesting, then that honor probably falls on Todd Phillips’ “Joker.” And when you listen to castmember Marc Maron talk about the film, it’s clear that comic book fans are probably not going to be expecting what the filmmaker has produced.
Speaking to NME, Maron was asked about “Joker” and working with the talented cast, which includes Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and of course, the star Joaquin Phoenix.
“I finished that a while ago,” Maron said. “We’d just finished wrapping the third season of ‘Glow,’ I did a week in New York and did a scene with Robert De Niro and Joaquin Phoenix. I couldn’t believe it was happening, but once I got there I was like, ‘Here we go. Let’s do the job’.”
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As for how “Joker” is going to be different than your run-of-the-mill superhero film, Maron says there’s a lot about what Phillips has created that will make it feel completely fresh, especially compared to the Marvel films that dominate the box office.
“I think it’s a very interesting approach to this world,” the actor said. “I’ve been somewhat judgemental when it comes to comic book movies and I’ve got a little pushback in the press for being a hypocrite. Whatever I think, if you get a call and someone says, ‘Hey do you wanna do a scene with Robert De Niro and Joaquin Phoenix?’ your principals fall to the wayside. If it’s relative to what I think of Marvel movies then it’s like, ‘Yeah, of course, I’m gonna do that.’”
He continued, “Oddly, it’s not that kind of movie. The approach that Todd Phillips has taken is more of an origin story and a character study of a mentally ill person that becomes The Joker. It’s more of an intimate and gritty movie with a very specific scope. It’s going to be really interesting to see how it comes out.”
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While he said that meeting De Niro was exactly what he was expecting, Maron said that working with Phoenix was something different. He said, “Joaquin is another story. I didn’t really get to talk to him because he was pretty immersed in The Joker. I was just like, ‘I’m not gonna bother that guy’. That was fine. You just gotta respect people’s process.”
“Joker” is set to hit theaters on October 4.