Legendary actor Johnny Depp is set to star as the eponymous Joker in the next superhero movie The Batman, alongside Robert Pattinson as Batman.
In most superhero films, the hero usually wins the fight against the bad guys, and the villain usually dies. Usually….but not always. The Joker, a notorious super-villain, is a classic example. He may be defeated but somehow always returns to fight another battle against his arch nemesis in the many Batman sequels.
Without doubt, the Joker has become our favourite antihero. Jumping the moral fence to spawn a franchise of his own, we’ve begun to empathise with him as we become privy to his unique backstory and understand the reasons behind his propensity to violence. He is now recognised as a strangely beloved universal pop culture icon, a nutty, green haired super-villain with a disfigured smile scarred into his tragicomic face. Needless to say, we are all familiar with the story of the Joker, an aspiring stand-up comedian who was treated badly by those around him, believing the world to be unfair after aiming to do good all his life. A life of crime offered much greater reward and a vehicle for revenge.
The newest in the film franchise will star Robert Pattinson as Batman and be directed by Matt Reeves. Reeves is casting Johnny Depp in the notorious role of Joker, which will place him amongst the ilk of previous heavyweights such as Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix, who won an Oscar for his performance at the Oscars this year.
Currently being filmed in the UK, though – like many other productions – hindered and delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, Reeve’s ‘The Batman’ may need a further villain to bolster the story due to the glut of Joker movies in recent years. That said, with each new film the portrayal and story of the Joker has evolved based on the actor playing the role. Psycho-like Heath Ledger, lonely and antisocial Jared Leto, or mentally ill Joaquin Phoenix, every actor has offered a unique take on the character that adds depth and intrigue. So understandably fans are beyond excited to see how the Captain Sparrow actor will transform into the Joker.
Depp has proven time and time again that he can make the characters he plays iconic and unforgettable. So what can we expect from Depp’s Joker?
Depp’s most iconic roles through his acting career include the good-natured pirate Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, and Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. In the role of Captain Jack Sparrow he shares a wild and unpredictable side, perhaps elements of which he could bottle for the Joker. Eerily similar to the styling of Mad Hatter, as the Joker we can expect to see Depp’s face caked with make-up, wide eyed and unpredictable, but this time with much more motivation to cause mischief and mayhem….
Surprisingly, this is not the first time Depp has been considered to play the super-villain; his name was mentioned before for The Dark Knight before Heath Ledger was offered the role.
Yep, fans are super excited to see Depp’s new version of Joker, but we have yet to confirm from either party that the Pirates of the Caribbean actor will in fact be the antagonist in The Batman. However, if the rumours are indeed true, it’ll be interesting to see how this new version of the beloved franchise, featuring Robert Pattinson as Batman and Johnny Depp as the Joker, will bring us a new twist.
The upcoming Batman is currently scheduled to be released in cinemas June 25, 2021.
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