If one thing can be said about DC fans, it’s that they can’t get enough of Batman. The caped crusader and his cast of villains have seen more adaptations and reimaginings than any other character in the DC universe. Just this year, fans were treated to the arrival of the eighth live-action Batman movie. No other comic book character has seen as many reimaginings. And with another reimagining of the caped crusader, it’s no surprise that he’s brought with him a new Joker.
Barry Koeghan is the newest incarnation of the sinister clown to hit the big screen. Fans got their first look at the make-up-wearing menace at the end of The Batman, but they got their best look in a deleted scene from the film posted by director Matt Reeves. Given the implications of the movie’s final moments, the new Joker is going to be a serious problem in Reeves’ trilogy, beginning with The Batman 2. The only question is: when will the clown prince of crime strike? What is next for Barry Koeghan’s Joker?
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The Clown Prince To Be
DC Comics
Although Koeghan’s role in The Batman has been identified as The Joker, he actually isn’t, at least not yet. According to Reeves, the man we see in the deleted scene is the man who will become the Joker, although it’s safe to say he isn’t far off from the looks of things. Reeves stated that many of Batman’s most infamous villains are already wreaking havoc in Gotham, and some have even had the pleasure of meeting The Dark Knight. Koeghan’s character clearly has at some point. Given how Reeves’ first movie reinvented aspects of the Batman’s famous lore, it seems he is taking a similar approach with The Joker as well. In an interview with Variety, Reeves said he envisioned Joker as having been born with a congenital disease that forces his face into a permanent, horrific smile.
Reeves’ take certainly fits in with the mindset of the famous character. It wouldn’t be the first time fans have seen the Joker in a more sympathetic light. While the character has had different origins over the years, one in particular from the famous storyline, The Killing Joke, has shown the Joker starting out as a normal man whose life was destroyed by bad choices and tragedy. When we next see the villain on screen, it may very well be his coming-out party. The Batman 2 may be the film in which fans get their most in-depth look at the villain’s infatuation with the caped crusader and the trauma that made an innocent youth into the most sadistic villain in the DC universe.
Possible Storylines
Warner Bros. Pictures
There’s no confirmation as of yet that Koeghan’s Joker will be the primary antagonist of the next film, but as seen at the end of The Batman, Joker is primed to help Edward Nashton make a comeback as the Riddler. In some way or another, The Joker will likely have a presence in the next film. The future is full of possibilities for the character. Given what the ending of The Batman implied, fans could see the two criminals escaping Arkham and unleashing a new wave of crime across Gotham. He did promise Nashton a comeback after all.
Perhaps his next appearance will come in the Gotham Police series on HBO Max. Reeves said the series had been retooled into a haunted house horror show set in the famous asylum, and he hasn’t ruled out the possibility that The Joker’s escape back into the world could happen outside the big screen. Or perhaps his introduction as the clown prince won’t come until the third installment in the trilogy. Joker could act as an agent of chaos leading up to his big debut as Batman’s legendary rival, making his presence felt until the big finale, much like Thanos did within the MCU. No criminal pushes Batman like the Joker, and his appearance in The Batman could be the calm before the storm that he unleashes upon Gotham. Whatever happens, Reeves may have big plans for the character.
