Insiders Say Joaquin Phoenix Is Guaranteed An Oscar Nom For Joker

Although the hype and excitement around both Avengers: Endgame and Shazam! have died down in the past couple of weeks, there are still plenty of superhero movies to look forward to. Spider-Man: Far From Home is due out next month, and soon enough, Warner Bros. Pictures’ standalone Joker will be hitting the big screen, too.

Still, while Todd Phillips’ latest film has largely been kept under wraps, plenty of plot leaks and unconfirmed spoilers have made their way to the internet. Earlier today, we caught wind of a handful of juicy story beats, which seem to suggest that Arthur Fleck/Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) will start a revolution pitting the poor against the rich, all set in a less pristine version of Gotham City during the early ’80s.

If you’re wary about spoiling yourself, you’ll definitely want to stay clear of any rumor articles, as it seems a handful of outlets and publications have reported on the recent leaks. Plot details aside though, a few new tidbits regarding Joaquin Phoenix’s performance have come to light.

As reported by ComicBookMovie.com (based on an earlier report from Splash Report), it looks like Arthur Fleck will only don his Joker costume for the last 30 minutes or so. This might not come as a total shock, considering the film’s an origin story, but longtime fans may be disappointed that the Clown Prince of Crime won’t be making an extended appearance.

In his original report for Splash Report, writer Jean-François Allaire also praised Joaquin’s performance, going so far as to say he’s “guaranteeing” the veteran actor will snag an Oscar nomination. Phoenix has been up for Academy Awards in the past, of course, but he’s yet to bring home a golden statue for himself.

“I am guaranteeing an Oscar nomination for Joaquin Phoenix,” writes Allaire. “His Arthur Fleck is incredible. For a while, I thought his Johnny Cash would be his signature performance.  I think we’ll be proven wrong in 5 months. Robert De Niro has a very juicy role, and he could potentially be in the conversation come award season.”

While these recent reports should be taken with a grain of salt, we’re excited to see Joker when it hits theaters on October 4th, and if the official trailers are anything to go by, it seems moviegoers are in for a real treat.