Warner Bros.’ Joker fever knows no limits. We’re hearing everything from multiple Jokers in the Joker sequels, to the Joker popping up for a cameo in Space Jam 2, to a female Flashpoint Joker in The Flash. But one Joker that we can absolutely guarantee will happen will be the one facing off against Robert Pattinson in sequels to The Batman.
It’s now been twelve long years since the Bat and the Clown did battle on the big screen, with Jared Leto and Ben Affleck not sharing so much as one scene together. As such, we can assume that either a Joker teaser is being baked into the ending of The Batman (Batman Begins style), or he may make a surprise appearance in a post-credits scene. Whatever the case, we can assume that Warner Bros. and Matt Reeves already have some actors in mind to play the part.
One is Johnny Depp, apparently, and digital artist BossLogic has now put together a neat image using Grindelwald as a base that shows how his Joker might look.
But is Depp really plausible casting? Well, he’s long been linked to the part over the years, with fans calling for him to play the role as far back as The Dark Knight. His continued appearances in the Fantastic Beasts movies prove that Warner Bros. still have faith in his talents, too. In addition, his headline-grabbing legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard took a twist in his favor when audio was released that appeared to implicate Heard in attacking him.
All of which makes his casting far from a dead cert, but he’s the most likely candidate we currently have. I’m sure Depp could give us a truly menacing and eccentric Joker, though I’d hope he’d rein in his Captain Jack Sparrow mannerisms for something a bit more focused and deadly.
The Batman hits cinemas on June 25th, 2021.
