Warning: From the outset, this article contains The Batman spoilers, so proceed with caution.
After months of speculation, it ended up taking only a few minutes to confirm the existence of the Joker in the world of The Batman. Unlike many previous iterations, the character has already faced off with Robert Pattinson’s Batman before the film starts, and that means he is safely locked up in the cells of Arkham Asylum. For now. However, Matt Reeves has made it quite clear that the Clown Prince of Gotham is not going to remain in the shadows forever, although in what format he appears is not certain.
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Barry Keoghan was recently seen in Marvel’s Eternals, and when it was rumored that he would be making an appearance in The Batman, there were obvious questions about whom he would be playing. By the end of The Batman, the credits declare that Keoghan is playing “Unseen Arkham Prisoner,” but even in the shadows, it is clear to see that disturbing smile lurking in the dark and then comes the laugh. While it may seem that the final scene between Joker and Paul Dano’s Riddler is setting up a sequel, there is nothing about this version of Batman that has played to expectations so far, and the apparent sequel setup could well be just the same.
Speaking on Den of Geek’s DC Standom, Reeves broke down some more details about how the not-quite Joker seen in the movie will not necessarily be in a movie. He said:
The Batman Deleted Scene Reveals a More Psychological Than Psychopathic Joker
Matt Reeves has spoken on several occasions about a deleted scene that will likely be included in the Blu-ray release of the movie that featured Batman and the Joker in a discussion about The Riddler. While the scene was ultimately cut from the theatrical release, it did show a Joker who has yet to fully reach his potential, but one who is also very conscious of what makes people tick and how his insight is one that Batman can use.
“What you’re seeing is a pre-Joker Joker, actually. We go back to the Conrad Veidt, The Man Who Laughs inspiration, which is a Bob Kane-Bill Finger reference. Obviously, that guy has a congenital disease. He’s sort of like Phantom of the Opera, he can’t not smile. Instead of being like the story of the Elephant Man, where his grotesque outward appearance sort of belied the beautiful inside, this would form his nihilistic worldview and he would have an insidious understanding of human nature. That’s kind of where this psychology comes from in who this guy would be.”
Obviously, any future appearance by the Joker is yet to be revealed and is likely to be a few years off, at least. Current efforts are being put into the first HBO Max spin-off focusing on the Penguin, and then attention will turn to the Arkham series and the inevitable movie sequel.
