‘Gotham’ Star Cameron Monaghan Has A Reason For Not Looking At Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker’ Movie

With the filming of the fifth and final season of Gotham well underway in New York City, it’s got to be hard to notice another DC Comics production, The Joker, filming right across the way. According to actor Cameron Monaghan the production of the upcoming Warner Brothers movie is something he’s wanted to stay away from.

“I am trying not to look at it too much because I just don’t want to make something that’s the same as what he is doing,” Monaghan told IGN. “But it is inescapable.”

Monaghan plays Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska on Gotham and although the Fox show hasn’t confirmed either of the brothers will become the Joker, most fans would at least go the length to say the characters are at least a spiritual successor to the iconic Batman nemesis.

Regardless, Monaghan is excited that Warner Brothers has decided to tackle a feature-length origin flick about the Crown Prince of Crime.

“I think it is cool what they’re going to be able to do in an R-rated two-hour movie,” Monaghan added. “We indulge in being campy, or ridiculous, or fun in a way they probably won’t be able to do. It is a different goal and way of going about it, but I am excited to see what they do.”

“Thankfully it is very different from what we’re doing.”

Going into this new season, Monaghan says his character will be in an interesting place. Speaking to ComicBook.com during a visit to the set of Gotham earlier this year, the Shameless alum compared his role to the boogeyman.

“It was interesting in the last season,”Monaghan said of his character. “His plan succeeded. He destroyed Gotham. He marooned it. He created his maze and his image and all this stuff, which is rare for any villain to succeed. So I think that he’s enjoying that he’s king of the roost and he’s sort of working within the shadows with a lot of respect and he’s sort of the big boogeyman in the city right now. I think he’s enjoying that and it’s giving him a sense of ego and hubris. He has got a girlfriend now and he’s more successful than he’s ever been.

“I think that what’s driving him right now and what his plan and what he’s building is, he’s always working or building something, is Bruce. Bruce is his special project. It’s the one thing that’s bothering him and nagging him because it’s the one thing he didn’t succeed at. That’s what we see with him now is he’s happyish but he’s still unsatisfied because he needs to show Bruce how much he loves him, or his twisted version of love.”

Are you looking forward to the return of Gotham? What do you think of Monaghan’s role on the show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Gotham will return to FOX on Thursday, January 3, 2019.