Why Todd Phillips Joker Might Reshape The Future Of ComicBook Films
Warner Bros has just released their final trailer for what might be their most anticipated film of the year Joker! Led by Joaquin Phoenix, Directed & written by Todd Phillips, & co written by Scott Silvers. Other notable stars include academy award winner Robert De Niro, the beautiful & talented Zazie Beetz, Francis Conroy, & Brett Cullen. DC might have had a few missteps in the past, but in the last recent years they’ve started to find their footing, & have had nothing but one home-run after another. Starting with Wonder Woman which single handedly helped reshape the DCEU as we know it. Then James Wan’s Aquaman continuing down that same path being the first ever DCEU film to cross $1 billion dollars at the box office. Followed by David F. Sandberg’s Shazam which won the good faith of both critics & fans alike, & was described by many to be the DCEU’s strongest film yet. DC’s been on a winning streak lately, but it seems like Joker may very well put them back at the top! Yes don’t get me wrong, Avengers: Endgame was good fun, but it’s nothing compared to the madness we’re about to get with this film. Some people may hate me for saying that, but that’s okay. I’m just seeing the facts for what they are. Joker looks to be so much more than just another comic book film. It’s arguably fair to say that, as fun & exciting as the comic book genre has become some of the films recently have begun to feel really redundant, & have caused a bit of a fatigue amongst the public. We’ve seen countless stories that have just felt extremely familiar with one another, & it’s a breath of fresh air to finally see something totally different. More unique than everything else. It keeps things fresh & opens up the door for new ideas. New stories to be told. A film based on the origins of one of if not THE biggest & most popular super-villain in comic book history. Sign me up, because day one I am THERE! How can anyone not be.
The trailer is in every way of the word groundbreaking, & bone-chilling to its core. It really is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Lots of people have already begun to compare Joaquin Phoenix’s performance to that of Jack Nicholson, & of course the late Heath Ledger who to many people including myself believe him to be the greatest joker of all time. His performance was so good in fact, he won the academy award for Best Actor back in 2009 for The Dark Knight directed by the legendary Christopher Nolan. Now it looks like Joaquin Phoenix is also coming for that Oscar as well PLUS more! I believe this film has a very high chance at not just winning one but TWO academy awards come next season. Best Actor & Best Picture! Yes I’m serious, & although I’m not as infatuated about the academy awards like other film fans as a whole, I’d love to see the comic book genre transcend past people’s expectations and become something bigger than what we first imagined it to be when it all started.
Todd Phillips also mentioned earlier that his take on the clown prince of Crime will not have any ties to past comic book iterations, but instead will be its very own original story entirely. Speaking with Vulture, Phillips had this to say:
That is exactly what I wanted to hear from a movie like this. Not every Comic book film needs to be exactly like the graphic novels to be considered good. Seeing a director who’s passionate & bold enough to take a beloved character such as the joker and bring their own spin to them, is much more exciting if you ask me. That is the mindset all directors who want to work in this genre should have. It’s not about repeating what’s come before. It’s about how you can add onto something that’s already great & loved by many, & if possible what can you do to help evolve the genre even more. That’s how you keep these films alive. By giving them a new voice each time, not being afraid to take risks, & giving the audience something they can really relate to at its core. This film seems to have all of that! A struggling comedian on the brink of insanity who’s left alone with taking care of his sick mother, dealing with a cruel society that is constantly humiliating him until he breaks. Lots of us definitely can see or at least come to an understanding of what it may be like to be in that kind of head space. It’s a fascinating story that I can’t wait to see unfold on the big screen later this October. This looks to be the CANNOT miss event of the year for Comicbook fans & general audiences alike.
Very proud to see Warner Bros taking the DC property in a different direction than what Disney has given us with the MCU. DC possesses bigger than life characters that require this level of talent to help tell their stories properly, & it seems like Warner Bros has realized that themselves as well. The future for DC is brighter than its ever been, & as a hardcore fan myself I couldn’t be happier! Let us know your thoughts on the trailer, & is there another dc character, villain or hero you’d love to see get the same treatment down the line. Send us a message to our pages Earth2comiccast, & TeamJVS. We’d love to hear from you. Hope you enjoyed everything I had to say. Stay safe & have a great weekend everyone! Peace!
Source: Vulture, Warner Brothers