Matt Reeves revealed to IGN why Barry Keoghan’s role as the Joker was cut from The Batman, “What’s interesting is that the reason that Joker’s in the movie is there was actually another scene that was earlier. And because the movie is not an origin tale for Batman, but it’s his early days, it really is an origin tale for the Rogue’s Gallery’s characters. And for me, I think [it’s] this idea that the Joker is not yet the Joker, but they already have this relationship.”
Reeves went on to say: “He goes to see another killer that he’s clearly had an experience with in these first two years. And this killer in this story is not yet the character that we come to know, right? So everybody’s in their infancy. So in the comics, these characters often declare their alter egos in response to the fact that there’s a Batman out there. And so here, we have a Joker who’s not yet the Joker.”
The Batman deleted Joker scene reveals more than you think:
Here’s our previous coverage of The Batman (2022):
The Batman is an American action-superhero film featuring Robert Pattinson as the titular crime-fighting hero.
Directed and co-produced by Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes; Dawn of the Planet of the Apes; Let Me In; Cloverfield) from a screenplay co-written with Mattson Tomlin, based on characters created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
The 6th & Idaho Productions-DC Entertainment-Warner Bros. movie stars Robert Pattinson (Bruce Wayne aka The Batman), Zoë Kravitz (Catwoman), Colin Farrell (The Penguin), Paul Dano (The Riddler) and Andy Serkis (Alfred Pennyworth).
Plot:
Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City.
With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
“When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano).
As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
During an interview with Movie Maker, director Matt Reeves revealed the grizzly inspiration behind his version of The Riddler:
“The premise of the movie is that the Riddler is kind of moulded in an almost Zodiac Killer sort of mode and is killing very prominent figures in Gotham, and they are the pillars of society,” he said. “These are supposedly legitimate figures. It begins with the mayor, and then it escalates from there.”
Read reviews of The Batman on page two
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