Joaquin Phoenix To Play The Joker In Todd Phillips’ Standalone DC Movie

There reaches a time in every actor’s life where you can’t go around making ends meet playing hitmen for Lynne Ramsay (“You Were Never Really Here“), Jesus (“Mary Magdalene“), or acclaimed cartoonists (“Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot“). The day has arrived for Joaquin Phoenix to get that superhero movie money, by playing one of the most iconic villains of all time.

Variety reports that Joaquin Phoenix has agreed to play The Joker in Todd Phillips‘ untitled standalone picture. The actor was apparently the director’s top choice for the role, and after initially hesitating, Phoenix said yes. It’s not the first time the Oscar nominee has been considered for superhero roles — was in the mix to lead “Doctor Strange” — but it seems he’s finally found the project he feels comfortable taking on. As for Warner Bros. first choice of Leonardo DiCaprio, that apparently didn’t pan out. They just need to sign off on Phoenix, and everyone will be off to the races.

The project will fall under DC Films’ yet to be announced new banner of spinoff movies, which will stand apart from the current run of mostly terrible films. Jared Leto is understandably confused by all this, but he’s got his own spinoff with Margot Robbie‘s Harley Quinn developing.

Anyway, Phillips will directing the picture, and co-writing it with Scott Silver (“8 Mile,” “The Fighter“), so fingers crossed everyone will get a good script out of this. The story will apparently find the Joker working as “a gritty crime boss in a Scorsese-esque Gotham underworld.” Speaking of which, those early rumors of Martin Scorsese producing? That doesn’t seem to be happening.

This is certainly one of most surprising superhero developments of the year thus far. Whether or not the movie is any good, it’ll certainly be interesting to watch the normally press adverse Phoenix, run the nerd gauntlet promotional tour this kind of movie will require. If nothing else, that alone will be memorable.