Joaquin Phoenix Thinks Portraying the Joker Would Be "Interesting"

The upcoming solo Joker origin film has already spawned a variety of rumors regarding who will embrace the iconic villain, with Joaquin Phoenix being one of the names thrown into the mix. The actor has mostly refuted these rumors, yet does admit there's something enticing about playing the character.

"I don't know… it could be an interesting character, I don't know," Phoenix shared with Fandango.

Despite some performers refusing to jump on the superhero bandwagon, the actor confirmed the only reason he hasn't joined the genre yet is he hasn't found the right character or collaborators.

"I see it as any other movie," Phoenix confessed. "I wouldn't say… 'I won't do Westerns.' It depends on what it is. I don't really care about the genre, I care about the character and the filmmaker. If you have the ability to transcend the genre, then that's what you want to do. So I wouldn't say, hands down, no – I wouldn't do that kind of movie."

He added, "There are things where I've flirted with the possibility where there was the potential for this to be… something that's actually interesting to me. But then for whatever reason they never got to that place where everyone else feels the same way. And that's key. Everyone has to want to explore the same thing or else it just doesn't f-cking work. I'm not opposed to it. I don't make decisions on budget or things like that – it's really the filmmaker and the character."

Before Benedict Cumberbatch signed on to play Doctor Strange, Phoenix was in talks to become the Sorcerer Supreme. While that plan might have fallen through, the experience hasn't soured Phoenix and even enjoys the spectacle of superhero films.

"I think they make some great, fun movies," Phoenix told Little White Lies. "There's nothing wrong… I'm not a f-cking, like, cinephile. I'm not a snob and I'm totally fine with… I enjoy those movies sometimes, and I think they keep the f-cking industry going in some ways, so I don't have a problem with it at all. I think that everybody was, is… I'm trying to figure out how to say this most diplomatically, okay… I think everybody was really happy with how things turned out. All parties were satisfied."

Stay tuned for details on the upcoming Joker film.

Do you think Phoenix would be a good choice for the character? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T Fandango]