The Joker: Joaquin Phoenix Reveals Why He Took The Joker Role

Rumors first surfaced about Joaquin Phoenix being involved with a Joker origin film earlier this year, though the actor regularly deflated those claims by playing coy about the production during interviews. With production on the upcoming film finally announced, Phoenix addresses his involvement in the project and detailed what made the film so exciting.

“I take a lot of time and consideration when making decisions and what I’m gonna work on, always. So, in some ways, the process, which is obviously reading a script and meeting a filmmaker and then continuing to have meetings and discussions with Todd [Phillips],” Phoenix shared with Collider. “I think he’s very impressive and he seems to have a very interesting understanding of this world and what he’s trying to say. And so there is something very appealing about that and working with him on this particular project. It feels unique, it is its own world in some ways, and maybe, mostly, it scares the f-cking sh-t out of me or something. It might as well be the thing that scares you the most.”

Phoenix is often regarded as one of the best actors of his generation, leading his fans to wonder why he has yet to delve into the world of comic book adaptations. The actor had reportedly come close to securing the role of Doctor Strange, only for those talks to ultimately fall through.

“I think they make some great, fun movies,” Phoenix previously told Little White Lies about Marvel Cinematic Universe films. “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.”

Details about this upcoming Joker film and how Phoenix was convinced to embrace the character have yet to be announced, though it is rumored to head into production by September. Warner Bros. merely teased this film would be the “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study,but also a broader cautionary tale.”

Stay tuned for details about the Joker origin movie.

Justice League is now on home video. The DCEU continues with Aquaman on December 21, Shazam! on April 5, 2019, Wonder Woman 2 on November 1, 2019.

Do Phoenix’s comments have you excited about the movie? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T Collider]