Joaquin Phoenix 'Set To Star As The Joker - With Filming Starting This Autumn'

We've had a full six years now since Christopher Nolan's Batman series ended, leaving a slew of Oscars, multiple billions in the box office and some of the new millennium's most iconic cinema moments in its wake.

One of the most enduring images from the series was, of course, The Joker - or at least, the reemergence of The Joker, as characterised by Heath Ledger, who managed to resurrect the legendary villain only for his own personal tragedy to add a poignant extra dimension to the film.

In the decade since Heath Ledger's Joker hit our screens in 2008, there have been more than a few rumours about a spinoff, a potential vehicle to discover how the character came to be.

Now, it seems like there might be a tentative plan - and there is a huge name attached to it.

Joaquin Phoenix is being linked to the role of The Joker by several Hollywood insider blogs, most notably Omega Underground.

According to them, The Joker origin movie is set to start filming in New York City this autumn, with Phoenix in the lead role.

PA

Phoenix is not the only cinematic giant set to work on the movie: Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest directors alive, is slated to act as producer while directing will be Todd Phillips, the man behind comedies such as Road Trip and Old School as well as Starsky & Hutch and The Hangover Trilogy.

Alongside those two big hitters will be writer Scott Silver, whose credits include 8 Mile and The Fighter.

It is thought the majority of inspiration for this incarnation of The Joker will be the Batman comic Batman: The Killing Joke, originally written by graphic artist legend Alan Moore, whose previous creations include V for Vendetta and Watchman.

The Todd Phillips/Joaquin Phoenix Joker film is far from the only one in production. Jared Leto is also rumoured to be starring as The Joker in a sequel to Suicide Squad, while Margot Robbie has also speculated that a Harley Quinn/Joker origin movie is in the works.

"I'm personally a sucker for a love story," said Robbie. "In any iteration. I think people enjoy seeing two characters who, in Harley and Joker's case, would die for one another. It's kind of romantic in a messed up way."

So after a decade of mourning for Heath Ledger's Joker, we might just be about to get three films in short succession.

Topics: TV and Film, Joaquin Phoenix, Joker, Batman

Mike Wood

Mike Meehall Wood is a freelance journalist and translator. He writes for LADbible, VICE and countless sports publications, focusing on rugby league, football and boxing. He is a graduate of Leeds University and maintains a fizzy pop obsession. Contact Mike at [email protected]