Wanna Know How He Got Those Scars? Matt Reeves Explains What His Joker Is All About
Director Matt Reeves explains the Joker’s dark and twisted backstory.
The Batmansent the internet into a frenzy this week by releasing a deleted scene where Batman (Robert Pattinson) and the Joker (Barry Keoghan) interact at Arkham Asylum. Although Keoghan’s Joker made a brief appearance from the shadows of his cell at the end of The Batman, this five-minute deleted scene gives fans a blurry look at Reeves’ interpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime.
The Joker has a new look with most of his hair missing, bloody fingers, and facial scarring that is far different than any other on-screen Joker. He is twisted, deranged, and already has a strange, interpersonal connection with the Caped Crusader.
Reeves’ revealed in an interview with Varietythat his intentions with the Joker will break tradition when it comes to the villain’s physical appearance. This Joker did not fall into a vat of chemicals or have an open-ended reason for his facial scarring. Instead, Reeves is taking a Phantom of the Opera approach.
“He has a congenital disease where he can’t stop smiling and it’s horrific. His face is half-covered through most of the film,” Reeves says. “What if this guy from birth had this disease and he was cursed? He had this smile that people stared at that was grotesque and terrifying. Even as a child, people looked at him with horror, and his response was to say, ‘Okay, so a joke was played on me,’ and this was his nihilistic take on the world.”
Inspired by David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, we know a little more about what Keoghan’s Joker will look like if or when he makes his on-screen debut in the film’s sequel or in one of the various spin-offs HBO and Reeves have planned.
“There’s stuff I’m very interested in doing in an Arkham space, potentially for HBO Max. There are things we’ve talked about there. So it’s very possible. It also isn’t impossible that there is some story that comes back where Joker comes into our world.”
If you haven’t seen the deleted seen yet, you can watch it here.
Let us know what you think of Reeves’ rendition of the Joker in the comments below!
Source: Variety
