Todd Phillips would like to see someone make a Batman movie in the Joker version of Gotham that he created. The director made it abundantly clear that his movie does not reside within Warner Bros.’ DCEU. There’s no way this version of the Clown Prince of Crime has anything to do with Jared Leto or any other actor who has taken on the iconic role over the years. With that being said, it could be pretty interesting to see how a Batman movie would turn out when seen through Phillips’ lens.
Todd Phillips’ Joker won’t have anything to do with Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which is set to star Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. The director also made that clear when asked about it. However, he does believe there could be a good movie set within the Gotham he crated out there somewhere. He had this to say.
“It’s a beautiful Gotham. What I would like to see someone tackle is what Batman looks like from that Gotham. I’m not saying I’m going to do that. What was interesting to me about the inclusion of Batman in our movie was, ‘What kind of Batman does that Gotham make?’ That’s all I meant by that.”
What kind of Bruce Wayne grows up in that version of Gotham in the early 1980s? Todd Phillips made the city pretty grimy and dirty, which could make for a gritty take on the Batman character. Maybe the movie would deal with Wayne’s fragile mental state and a thirst for revenge. It’s not clear, but it certainly sounds like an intriguing idea. While the idea does sound interesting, DC and Warner Bros. probably aren’t going to dive into a new actor taking on the Dark Knight at this very second after they just announced Robert Pattinson.
Instead, Matt Reeves’ The Batman could adopt some of the grit and realism from Joker. The director has already said that his version of the character will go back to his detective roots, which already grounds him and makes him more relatable. There have been plenty of arguments as to whether or not Batman is even a true superhero. Robert Pattinson doesn’t believe that he is and there are plenty of comic book fans who feel the same way. Bruce Wayne doesn’t have any superpowers, he just some skills and a really good toybox.
Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix were able to create something new with Joker. It barely plays within the world of a comic book movie and instead hints to it and plays around with the idea. We’re not even sure if Arthur Fleck truly turns into the Clown Prince of Crime by the end of the movie or if it’s all in his head. For Phillips and Phoenix, they enjoy the ambiguity of the way the movie comes to a close. The interview with Todd Phillips was originally conducted by Variety.
