There can NEVER be enough Joker movies!!! That’s apparently the thinking over at Warner Bros., who confirmed yesterday plans for a movie featuring Jared Leto’s wildly unpopular version of the Bat-villain. So what does that mean for the other Joker movie, the origin story that may or may not star Joaquin Phoenix? It’s still very much on.
Deadline confirms the news, stating that the film, which will fall under a totally separate “origins” banner, will move forward with Todd Phillips directing. Martin Scorsese is reportedly involved as a producer, although Phoenix hasn’t confirmed he’ll star. He’ll probably back out, just watch. There will be no connection between the two Joker movies, which I’m sure will be very easy for audiences to understand and follow. I get it when two studios make similar movies at the same time, but why would Warner Bros. deliberately cut themselves off at the knees like this? It just makes no sense.
Leto’s Joker will also likely return for Suicide Squad 2, which goes into production next year. None of these projects are close to starting production. So how much do you want to bet they all get going at roughly the same time? Doesn’t that sound like something Warner Bros. would do?