Ah, The Joker. An iconic character if ever there was one…
Sure, just this week Heath Ledger’s take on the clown prince of crime was named as the most memorable movie moment from the past two decades.
It’s certainly up there. There’s a rare dangerous electricity to Ledger’s performance, even without the impossible-to-ignore spectre of the actor’s tragic early exit looming over it.
You’d think that playing The Joker is a can’t-miss gig, considering the various scene-stealing turns from the likes of Ledger, Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson and Mark Hamill.
But then Jared Leto got a crack at it in Suicide Squad, and well, yeah, not so great.
Clip via Movieclips
Someone who may be about to return the grinning menace to new heights is Joaquin Phoenix, whose upcoming Joker, as well as his specific portrayal, has been garnering some very positive early buzz.
Director Todd Phillips has been at pains to underline that this version of the character isn’t tied to existing comic book or movie lore, and will serve as a standalone story.
In fact, the word up until now has been that there won’t be a sequel of follow-up of any kind, and that Joker will be a one and done affair.
As noted, that was until now.
Phillips, in conversation with Total Film, has only gone and done the classic ‘leave the door ajar’ move, but only if Phoenix is on board, too.
Gushing over his star’s performance, he said:
“One thing I will tell you: I would do anything with Joaquin, any day of the week.
“There’s nobody like him. If he was willing to do it, and if people show up to this movie, and Warners came to us and said, ‘You know what? If you guys could think of something…’ Well, I have a feeling that he and I could think of something pretty cool.”
We’ll at least know if there is a set-up for further Joker adventures when the film lands in Irish cinemas on 4 October.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
