Daredevil Star Vincent D'Onofrio Thinks Joaquin Phoenix Deserves an Oscar for Joker

Joker continues to be the hottest conversation piece in cinema other than legendary directors [...]

Joker continues to be the hottest conversation piece in cinema other than legendary directors getting their swings in on superhero movies. Now, an actor that became the face of a popular Marvel Comics character on Netflix has come forward to say that Joker star Joaquin Phoenix should be in line for some hefty hardware during awards season. Vincent D'Onofrio turned a lot of heads with his depiction of Kingpin on Daredevil. His performance is one of the highlights of that show because of the way he brought Wilson Fisk to life. The Netflix star took to Twitter to point out what a lot of people have been murmuring about Joker since it was on the festival circuit earlier this year. Months ago, many believed that the film should have legit Oscar hopes when awards season rolled around. If box office performance is any indicator, there might be some truth to that.

But, D'Onofrio's Twitter post kept things brief, "This young man deserves recognition for his performance." He attached a picture of Phoenix in the makeup from the film, and people read that message loud and clear. The reality of Arthur Fleck has been a constant point of conversation among fans of Joker since it's cinematic debut. A lot of celebrities and everyday fans have chimed in on the ways his character addresses some shortcomings in America's current attitudes toward mental health and those who struggle to operate in the current system. Say what you will about the film, but the performance has struck a major chord among movie-goers.

That record-setting box office continues to roll in, and even though it didn't top this weekend's list, there is still reason to believe that Joker could set the record for October. Review aggregation sites tell the story of two very different viewing experiences among fans and non-fans. On Rotten Tomatoes the fans have the audience score for Joker a full 20 points higher than the critical score. This record box office effort also speaks to how much people are actually enjoying the film on its own merits aside from the controversy.

In less than a month, Todd Phillips' latest is already one of the biggest features in the second half of the year. It sits at near $740 million at the worldwide box office and still has a week and change to grow even bigger. There have been SNL parodies, countless memes, and protesters dressing up like the character. It has come to dominate the critical conversation (aside from arguing if Marvel movies are cinema or not) in a way that few films have been able to do this year. The controversy has only really helped as many of those fans probably went through the turnstiles to see what all the fuss was about.

Joker is now in theaters. Upcoming DC Movies include Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020, The Batman on June 25, 2021, The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021, and Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022.

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