Joker Includes Another Amazing Reference to Heath Ledger

Joker is finally out, and fans are loving the film as it continues to do good numbers over opening weekend. Some fans are also noticing the subtle nods that the filmmakers included along the way. One easter egg in the film actually references Heath Ledger’s time as The Clown Prince of Crime in a very inventive way. Going into Joker, many looked back towards that version of the character when estimating how Todd Phillips’ movie would perform. *Slight spoilers for Joker on the way people*

Arthur Fleck actually gets the chance to make his big on-screen debut on the television show he’s been dreaming about being a part of during the film. When he sets foot on the stage during Live! With Murray Franklin, an older woman is pretty psyched to see the clown in person. Joker walks towards her and plants a big one on her before sitting down. Everything proceeds from there.

Now, why is that important? Well, during the press tour for The Dark Knight back in 2008, Ledger was giving an interview. Suddenly, as the interviewer and he were talking, an ecstatic fan interrupts the proceedings to scream her approval of the actor. He rolls over there and kisses her, which leads to her fainting right there on the spot during the event. The entire thing plays out as a surreal moment. (One people would probably accuse of being staged immediately now.)

Now, that’s pretty cool, and there are tons of other movie nods and DC Comics goodies hanging around in the margins for dedicated viewers. The fanbase seems to be enjoying it so far, but the same can’t be said for critics at this time. Much has been made about the Rotten Tomatoes scores for Joker on both the audience and the critic side of things. Fans have stoked the audience score to 93% while the professional reviews were clocking in at about 69% before the movie opened.

In addition to those numbers, Joker seems to be headed for the stunning opening numbers that some were predicting for opening weekend. Some forecasts had the movie setting an October record for more mature films. Now, that lofty goal looks like it is within reach as the media coverage coupled with fan blowback might just catapult the movie into one of the biggest movies of the year for Warner Bros.

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, 20