A brand new behind-the-scenes set video has finally revealed Joaquin Phoenix in all his Joker glory, complete with full face make-up and in a purple and green-suit that, in my opinion, is kind of reminiscent of the way the Joker looked in the old Adam West ‘Batman’ live-action series. Phoenix honestly looks pretty amazing in the video, bringing a certain swagger and sense of fun to his actions and movements, though he does not necessarily look to be bringing the dark and scary side of the Clown Prince Of Crime the way Heath Ledger and Jared Leto did with their interpretations, though it is most likely way too early to tell what Phoenix is doing, especially based off of one video.
More interesting is the scene occurring around Phoenix’s Joker in the video, where it appears that a group of people at a subway station are actively protesting Thomas Wayne running for Mayor, which seems odd because Thomas Wayne was always shown as being beloved by the people of Gotham before his death and this hints that we might be getting a different picture of Batman’s father in the film. For all we know, Thomas Wayne might inadvertently play an active role in creating the Joker in this movie.
In the comics, by the time the Joker is “born,” Thomas Wayne is long-since dead and the Joker’s origin story is instead tied in with Batman himself. Yet clearly in this shot we see people protesting Thomas Wayne which suggests the Joker origin film will take place DECADES before Batman ever takes to the streets of Gotham.
But does that even make sense? Can the Joker exist/ be operating in Gotham City without Batman around? Do you have any theories as to what might be going on? Feel free to share your thoughts on the story and the look of Joker in the comments below!
