Possibly the hottest topic in the comic book movie sphere is the currently filming Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix. The movie received quite the mixed reaction upon its original announcement, but since has picked up steam in what I can only describe as a cultesque following. Some due to the fact that Joker possesses a huge fan following, and some due to Phoenix’s own quite large fan following.
But the buzz lately has been mostly (and like nigh all DCEU movies) rampant speculation that circles it. Whether due to the fact it’s an origin movie, or that it one minute is playing a role in rebooting the DCEU and then the next is a stand alone; it’s earned the buzz. And even more so since the leaked footage that hit the interwebs a few days ago.
Now allow me to be honest when I say I’ve been pretty “meh” over it since its initial rumor, and as I’ve seen everything unfolding around it, it hasn’t changed my stance on the movie. Though one thing that I’ve felt from the start might nudge me in the direction of being eager for a Joker standalone was how Phoenix looked as the Joker.
Well, I guess you could say my curiosity was answered:
Warner Bros shared Todd Phillips‘ camera test of Phoenix, and in the process they could’ve revealed his Joker look— buuuuuuuuuuuut, I’m not buying it.
There’s a couple of things that make me believe this isn’t the real deal: (1) the footage that was leaked showing us “Amusement Mile“, (2) it’s far off from the general audience’s preconceived notion of the “Clown Prince” to even take a chance with risking the movie bombs, and (3) this is an origin movie. You don’t throw all your cards out on the table a few days, or weeks into filming because of some leak. And that’s what Phillips and Warner Bros would be doing if the above was in fact Phoenix’s look as Joker.
It’s far more likely that they’re taking some liberties and tweaking some things to fit the story they’re telling, and thus we got our look at Phoenix as a clown/comedian at Amusement Mile.
I will say that I’m still not feeling the overall move, but as we learn and see more going forward, that could change (and I hope it does).