Batman and the Joker have, quite possibly, one of the most fascinating dynamics in pop culture – and while we know Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is a standalone film and the two characters won’t cross paths – it would be interesting to see what the Joker’s reaction would be.
Jake Hamilton interviewed Phoenix for his YouTube channel and broached the topic the actor, “By nature of who that man is, and the universe in which he lives, one day in his life, he is going to come across a guy named Batman. And I know that’s not what this movie’s about and we’re not probably ever going to see that, but hypothetically what do you think his reaction is going to be the first time he sees a man dressed up as a bat?”
Phoenix seemed a little dumbfounded at first, telling Hamilton, “I hadn’t thought about that. I feel under pressure. I want to give you a great answer, something that’s fun. You have a lot of energy, you seem excited, I want to reciprocate that.
“But I don’t know what his reaction will be. I imagine that he would feel a surge of excitement.”
It’s not a lot, but I feel like I can picture the look on his character’s face when he comes face-to-face with Batman, and it’s one creepy smile!
Hamilton agreed, “That’s all I needed to hear because that’s a wonderful image.”
While the most recent portrayals of the Joker and Batman played respectively by Jared Leto and Ben Affleck haven’t exactly been groundbreaking, I feel like we’ve got something special coming with Phoenix and Robert Pattinson as the new Batman.
Joker director Todd Phillips has previously revealed he made a very deliberate choice during the film’s development not to include other characters from the wider DC Extended Universe.
Phillips explained his decision at the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival [via CinemaBlend], saying, “It’s not really connected to that [DC Movie] Universe. And it was really intentionally not.
“I mean the original idea when I went to [Warner Bros.] with the idea was not just about one movie, but about a label – sort of a side label to DC, where you can do these kind of character study, low-rent, low-budget movies, where you get a filmmaker to come in and do some deep dive into a character.
“So it was never meant to connect, so I don’t see it connecting to anything in the future. I think this is just this movie, you know?”
The movie is set in 1981, so it does make sense that the Joker doesn’t go up against present-day heroes from the DCEU, as he’d have to age quite a bit and it’s probably not so fun to watch that fight…