Wow. So there you have it folks! Warner Bros. are not messing around when it comes to DC. After months and months of rumours, yesterday, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Joaquin Phoenix will be taking on the iconic role of The Joker.
The untitled Joker movie is set to be directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Old School) and will – this is the kicker – not be connected to the current DC universe movies. Once more according to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources this flick will be a stand alone crime thriller. One which will boast a modest budget compared to the current DC movies. They also state a brand new label – as yet unkown – will be used to brand these (I assure there’s gonna be more of these) one of a kind DC adaptations.
Okay. So I ask what the hell are they doing over at Warner Bros./DC? Does this news bother me? Nope. It sure doesn’t. Joaquin Phoenix is an amazing talent and the thought of him playing the Joker is music to my ears. If this is a stand alone then cool. No issue. What does bother me, a bit, is it all just seems messy. For example there’s ANOTHER solo Joker movie currently in the works over at the studio and this one focuses on Jared Leto’s Joker. In fact let’s take a look at the current projects on the way from Warners/DC –
– Aquaman debuts this fall
–Shazam! will take a bow next spring
– Wonder Woman 84 comes out next fall
– Gotham City Sirens is due to shoot early next year and all of these films will be set in the same universe.
Then there’s the untitled Batman solo movie. That’s been in development for a few years now and may or may not (sigh) be set within the current continuity.
It is a mess. But it’s what we got. As long as each film turns out great I guess I don’t care what is connected to what but man oh man do these guys like to make all of this seem OVERLY complicated. My thinking on this? Drop the shared universe stuff for all of these projects and just take it one movie at a time. Slay one, it turns out awesome and everyone is happy. Don’t worry about what is tied to what. I am committed to DC and believe, due to their rich legacy, they totally warrant a fantastic stream of movies and with a bit more direction I think it can be done. Maybe lighten up a bit also.
Filming on Phoenix’s Joker movie kicks off pretty soon.
'Hella Movies' 
They ought to ditch shared universes and focus on stand alone quality in our opinion
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Agree 100% I’m sure Wonder Woman 84 will be legit. Same with Aquaman. Just focus on sole entries to a series instead of connecting them across shared team movies. Ideally – bar Wonder Woman – RESET.
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