The character of the Joker will always be a crowd favorite. Whether it is as goofy comic relief or a completely menacing monster, he is one of the most well-known characters in the superhero world.
In addition, his name is synonymous with not only Batman, but he may be one of the best-known villains in the superhero pantheon. Even if he isn't the main villain in The Batman - Part II, fans can be sure he will have some part to play in the upcoming sequel.
How The Batman Changed the Game
In Matt Reeve's version of Batman, Bruce Wayne (played by Robert Pattinson) seems to be in his first few years as The Dark Knight. He is still trying to get his bearings but has started his descent into being Batman more than being Bruce Wayne. This version of Batman is not necessarily grittier but is in a world that cannot be saved, despite his efforts. He is a Batman who will not solve Gotham’s problems, and they are actually going to get worse, but he seems driven by a form of vengeance that other Batman movies have not tackled with such a young Bruce Wayne.
That being said, his age brings an interesting aspect to the character, as does the choice to place him in the Gotham underworld, surrounded more by gangsters than supervillains. This is very reminiscent of the comics and was touched upon in Christopher Nolan’s original Batman Begins.
Jokers Galore
The question that always arises with any Batman movie is when will they introduce the Joker. Everyone wants him, to see who plays him, and to see how he takes on Batman. Not only that, but people love to get angry about their choices before seeing the films. There was Nicholson’s unhinged gangster, Ledger’s psychopathic agent of chaos, Leto’s rich boy with a grudge, and Phoenix’s put-upon loner. There was even Mark Hamill’s cartoon version that embodied the crazy right alongside the goofy.
But the main thing is that people have become interested in the deranged version. In the current environment, they seem to want their Jokers grounded and destroyed. They want them angry with an axe to grind and a complete lack of true motivation other than viscerally wanting to be a foil to their version of Batman.
Each Joker has been exactly what they needed to be: The opposite—the antithesis of everything Batman wants and needs to be. The Joker is Batman’s frustration. He wants to bring death and destruction because it makes Batman crazy. He is fond of saying that he and Batman are not so different, and this could not be more true. Their methods are similar, and their ferocity is clear, but their fundamental differences keep them in a near-constant battle that, in their universe, will never end.
End Credit Joker
The question of how the Joker would play into The Batman was never clear. Audiences knew to expect a younger Batman but were unsure whether the Joker would appear and, if he did, the role he would play.
As it turned out, he did appear, played by Barry Keoghan, at the end of the film. He shares one scene with the main villain (The Riddler, played by Paul Dano). The two are seen having a conversation between their cells in Arkham Asylum. However, this character (as revealed by director Matt Reeves) is not yet the actual Joker we know. He is simply an unhinged individual with some history with Pattinson’s Batman.
In a deleted scene, Batman journeys to Arkham to visit with the already incarcerated Joker, hoping to get his advice on the mystery baddie plaguing Gotham. In a scene reminiscent of Hannibal Lechter, the psychopath stands behind the glass, information is passed, and the inevitable teasing begins about how our hero has no idea what he’s dealing with. However, they help just enough to show the hero they are necessary and want to “play.”
Keoghan’s Joker also takes a cue from his predecessor, played by Heath Ledger. Keoghan’s Joker is scarred to the point of being completely disfigured. His face is pulped with contusions, his lips blistered. His hair is patchy, with chunks completely gone as if pulled out. He seems to be a burn victim and the subject of immense violence. The question is whether this violence was self-inflicted.
His Role In Future Movies
Reeves has been quiet about whom the villain will be in his sequel. While there are vocal advocates for the Joker to become a full-fledged antagonist, others still want to see Batman first go up against more of his rogues' gallery.
The thought may be that the Joker is too big of a foe, or will become one, for Batman to handle at this point in his burgeoning career. He is still too much the Bruce Wayne character with a mean streak. He may cast a frightening shadow and be able to go up against the likes of street punks and solve crimes, but the Joker is a different level of crazy. He is pure evil with zero filters. He is not the Riddler, whose M.O. seems to be an eventual need to get caught. The Joker is the big bad. He’s the one you don’t go up against until you’ve beaten all the other levels of the video game.
So where does that leave the character? In some ways, it may be best to keep him an enigma. If Reeves wants to build anticipation, he can always continue mirroring the Startling/Lecter relationship. Batman, being young, may not quite understand the true mind of a killer, especially one with heightened powers or master plans. Perhaps Reeves will have him languishing in Arkham, needing Batman to show up to include him. This consulting role would give him a better placement in Batman’s psyche.
Reeves needs to keep Keoghan’s Joker sidelined for now. Allow him to dig his tentacles into Batman and learn how to work him from the inside. Then, in a third or even fourth installment, allow him to put his master plan into action and completely disable Batman in the two ways he understands: Violence and mental disruption.