Now that Joker has joined the $1 billion club – the first R-rated movie to do so – everybody is eager to find out what Warner Bros. and director Todd Phillips are planning next. We told you last month that Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix would join forces once more for a direct sequel to Joker, with THR confirming our scoop earlier today, and on top of that, the outlet has also reported that Phillips is eager to begin development on films that examine other DC characters’ origins in new ways. Which, once again, is something that We Got This Covered first told you a month ago, with our sources saying that Mr. Freeze and Two-Face were getting their own films as well.
Apparently, while meeting with WB execs to hash out future plans, Phillips reportedly requested the rights to a “portfolio” of DC characters’ origin stories. He didn’t get that, but he did leave the meeting “with the rights to at least one other DC story.” Obviously, though, this begs the question of which one he got?
As we mentioned above, Mr. Freeze and Two-Face have been floated for their own projects already, but again, it’s unclear which one Phillips would direct. Alternatively, we’ve also heard reports that we may see a Joker-style origin story about Lex Luthor, so perhaps that’s the one that he got his hands on instead?
After all, it’s arguable that Luthor has never been successfully done on the big screen, with Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey and Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayals all falling somewhat short of brilliant. Showing Luthor’s story from his perspective and precisely why he feels the need to stop Superman in his tracks could make for an exciting movie. And if you’re interested in that, I’d recommend the 2005 Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo limited comic book series Luthor: Man of Steel, which would make a neat inspiration for any film.
But beyond that, there are a wealth of DC characters worthy of the spotlight. For instance, perhaps the political mood is right for a Poison Ivy pic in which she fights polluting industrialists? Or how about a trippy, body horror take on Clayface? Hell, if you want to get really obscure, why not turn heads with a big-budget Dogwelder origin story?
Wherever WB and Phillips go next, it’s clear that Joker has inspired them to do more with this part of the DC universe and we can’t wait to see what else they’ve got planned.