DC Movies: Can the Joker Origin Movie Work?

A few days back, Deadline reported that Warner Bros. and DC Films are in the early stages of developing a Joker Origin Movie, which will be produced by none other than Martin Scorsese. And will be directed by Todd Phillips, who will also co-write it alongside Scott Silver. This movie would exist on a different cinematic universe, with a completely new DC Banner, an elseworld if you will. So Jared Leto will not be reprising this role.

The kinda interesting part is the setting. The film will be a gritty and grounded hard-boiled crime film set in early '80s Gotham City in the same vein of the most iconic Scorsese’s films from that era, like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. DC will most likely cast a younger actor to play the titular role, instead of current DCEU Joker, Jared Leto.

Personally I was against all of this. First of all because the joker as a character doesn't need an origin story, the least we know about him the better. The most mysterious he is the more dangerous he becomes. So why bother with this movie? Yes the biggest pull at the moment is Martin Scorsese, but honestly he will serve just as a producer, and even we really don't know in what capacity. He could be a hands on producer, who has input in the script and helps during the filming or in post. Or he could just be a executive producer, in name and nothing else. And then what?

We have seen this multiples times in recent years, not always for good, Steven Spielberg one of the most talented directors of his generation produced Cowboys and Aliens, and all 5 of The Transformers movies. DC's Man of Steel and the very divisive Batman V Superman were produced by Christopher Nolan who previously gave us the best Batman movies to date. Scorsese himself produced the less than stellar Free Fire and the not very good HBO show Vinyl, so having him involved in the project is no guarantee. So why risk it?

Well this crazy idea, just might work if it is well executed. Of course I would personally like this movie to be well down the line when they had done another characters that are way more interesting to explore their origins, Martian Manhunter comes to mind, who is not precisely dark and mysterious but is a character that has never been in the big screen. However that is not the case and DC is moving in the Joker direction.

I can see this working if they plan to use it in some way with the upcoming Flashpoint movie, to avoid confusing the general audiences with multiple jokers. Also if they are planing in doing a Joker origin story it should be, to quote the clown prince of crime himself, multiple choice.

One of the most famous origins stories of the Joker is on the graphic novel The Killing Joke, and the clown himself utters: "f I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" something we kinda saw in The Dark Knight movie, when Heath Ledger's Joker tried three different times to explain why he had the scars on his face, with completely different stories. So why no apply this to this movie. Throwing obviously the most famous one into the mix, his origin as the red hood.

As I previously said, the Joker is a character that the least we know the better, there is no need to know why he is the way he is, as an audience we only need to know that he is crazy, and that he enjoys his craziness and the chaos he causes. And that way he is way more fun.

Let me know, do you want a Joker origin movie? If so, how would you like it to be?

#Editorial #DCEU #DCComics