The tricky part about centering any work of fiction on a villain is that you may have to portray them as the protagonist in a certain light. When it comes to DC, we’ve seen this happen with the likes of Lex Luthor, Deathstroke and Poison Ivy, but it’s important we not forget the terrible things these characters have done, even if an author is able to lend them more humanity.
In the case of the Clown Prince of Crime, however, Brian Azzarello explored him from a different angle when crafting his incredible graphic novel, Joker. If you’ve digested that, then you no doubt remember how the Ace of Knaves was examined from the perspective of henchman Jonny Frost, therefore readers wouldn’t sympathize for the titular nutjob.
From the look of it, director Todd Phillips may very well make Arthur Fleck a hero in a certain sense with his cinematic effort – but with a twist.
You see, The Geek Power has taken a closer look at those recently surfaced set pics that’ve lit social media ablaze, and they’ve uncovered what may be an important plot point. Seriously, take a gander at the highlighted images below and you’ll see that Brett Cullen’s Thomas Wayne has been tackled to the ground.
Knowing that Wayne’s running for mayor in this flick, it stands to reason that the Joker has seized an opportunity to gain favor with the citizens of Gotham City. Seeing as how subway enthusiasts are holding signs that read “Blame Wayne” and “Clown 4 Mayor,” they may be projecting their own misfortunes on Thomas, making him a scapegoat for corporate greed.
Again, I think the heroic role is all a matter of perspective here. In other words, Fleck isn’t actually a hero, but he’s manipulating the public into seeing him as such. Regardless, it looks like Todd Phillips, Joaquin Phoenix and the rest of the gang are cooking up one hell of a movie.
Joker arrives in theaters on October 4th, 2019.