All the pieces of DC’s upcoming non-DCEU Joker solo movie are starting to come together now. As well as Joaquin Phoenix finally opening up about playing the Clown Prince of Crime, we’ve also been told that he’ll be joined by Deadpool 2‘s Zazie Beetz and Robert De Niro in supporting roles. What’s more, details on the film’s plot have been materializing, too, with previous reports claiming that Thomas Wayne may play a part in the narrative.
Building on those earlier leaks, That Hashtag Show has now relayed even more news that reveals some shocking developments about the Joker’s character, proving just how much the movie will veer away from the comics. While there’s nothing to corroborate these facts as yet, it’s worth giving a warning that there could be major spoilers from this point on.
For starters, THS claims that the Joker will be given a real name in the movie, which makes sense if this is going to tell the story of how he became a supervillain. And no, it’s not Jack Napier, like Jack Nicholson’s take on the character from 1989’s Batman. The Joker’s civilian identity here will apparently be Arthur Fleck. Furthermore, the set-up for the film is that Arthur returns to live with his sickly mother, Penny, and it’s at that point he meets single mom Sophie Dumond, his love interest played by Beetz. De Niro, meanwhile, will apparently be portraying Murray Franklin, a late night TV host.
Last but not least, this leak might reveal the Joker’s shocking connection to his future nemesis Bruce Wayne. According to THS, Penny Fleck was “very attractive in her youth” and is “obsessed with her former employer,” who’s none other than Thomas Wayne, a character described as “cheesy, tanned” and rich-looking by Arthur. The outlet also theorizes that it could be revealed that Thomas is Arthur’s biological father, which would make him the half-brother of Batman.
If all this is on the level, we’re in for a major rehaul of the Joker‘s character when this cinematic equivalent of an Elseworlds comic hits theaters on October 4th, 2019. In the meantime, be sure to let us know what you make of all this in the comments section down below.
