Providing you haven’t been living under a rock since Friday, chances are you’ve caught wind of Warner Bros.’ tentative plans to cast Leonardo DiCaprio as The Joker. And it all centers around legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
The Oscar-winner and frequent DiCaprio collaborator has entered talks to produce a “super dark” origin movie involving the Clown Prince of Crime, and though early rumors pointed to a much younger rendition of the DC mega-villain, we’re now learning that Leonardo DiCaprio has landed at the tip-top of Warner’s wishlist.
And after working together across The Aviator, Gangs of New York, The Departed, Shutter Island and The Wolf of Wall Street, news that DiCaprio and Scorsese could potentially reunite for a sixth time – in the breathless world of comic book movies, no less – has transformed The Joker from a fairly divisive idea to one of the most talked about DC projects in the industry.
Now, to strike while the iron is still piping hot, concept artist Bryanzap has delivered another devilish piece that paints Leonardo DiCaprio as Batman’s long-time adversary, and you can check it out down below.
We should stress that, even for all of the commotion caused by Friday’s report, the chances of Leonardo DiCaprio signing on for The Joker are seemingly slim to none. The Hollywood veteran typically stays clear of shared universes and blockbuster franchises in favor of more artistic fair, so if the stars aligned and DiCaprio did headline The Joker for WB, it would undoubtedly be a historic coup.
One thing that could work in the studio’s favor is the fact that its new, as-yet-untitled DC banner is poised to double down on “auteur-driven” tentpoles, beginning with The Joker. Think more along the lines of Nolan’s revered Dark Knight Trilogy and you’ll begin to get a sense of the direction in which Warner is headed.
Without a firm release window to call its own just yet, it’s still early days for Warner’s Joker offshoot. However, you can still post your preliminary thoughts on Bryanzap’s haunting piece via the usual place.