Barry Keoghan's Joker could play a large role in Matt Reeves' Heath Ledger's Joker.
Ledger's Joker is iconic for many reasons. The actor's performance in the role was incredible, delivering an unhinged villain who was always one step ahead of everyone else. The Dark Knight's Joker was truly an agent of chaos, and his lack of morals or code made him mysterious and terrifying. All of this created the most iconic live-action version of the Joker, who is perfectly described in a quote by Michael Caine's Alfred. It's the best description of what the Joker should be, and I am excited to see Keoghan's Joker bring that type of villain to The Batman universe.
Alfred's Description Of The Dark Knight's Joker Fits The Character Perfectly
Heath Ledger's Joker just wanted to see the world burn.
The Joker's motivations in The Dark Knight are focused on plummeting Gotham into chaos. He doesn't want power or money. He wants to send the city into a spiral by highlighting the city's corrupt institutions and proving that people will flip on each other when things aren't going accordingly. The Joker's personality is expertly summed up by Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's butler, who tells Bruce a story about a bandit who stole precious stones. However, he didn't sell or trade them, as he stole them for sport.
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Alfred explains to Bruce: "Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn." Joker proves this point when he burns a huge stash of money, showing that leaving a message is more important than money or power. He is a villain who is hard for Batman to figure out, since he has no clear motive besides proving he's right about society.
The Penguin Establishes That Gotham's Criminals Fight Over Money And Power
The Penguin explores the game of Gotham's underworld.
The Penguin is an easier villain to examine than the Joker on many levels. His main goal is wealth and control of Gotham's drug empire. The same can be said for Sofia Falcone and Salvatore Maroni - but they all have different motives. Oz wants to prove he can make something of himself and make his mother proud, Sofia wants revenge on her father and the others who wronged her, and Sal wants vengeance on Penguin for his family.
Their reasoning may be different, but they all want the same thing: money, power, and control. The Penguin shows that they may have no morals, but they do have similar interests. They typically don't hurt innocent people, but they aren't afraid of hurting anyone who gets in their way. However, they are easier to negotiate with since their motivations are known. I'm interested to see how disruptive a character like Joker can be once he establishes himself in this environment.
Barry Keoghan's Joker Can Throw Chaos Into The Batman's Criminal Underworld
Sofia and Penguin may not know how to deal with Joker.
In The Penguin, the dark underbelly of Gotham is still reeling from The Riddler's actions in The Batman's ending. Carmine Falcone's murder and Gotham's flood undid the power hierarchy of Gotham's criminal empire, and the Penguin and other parties are trying to collect the pieces and rebuild. Sofia and Oz are the two top dogs, but they still operate with the motivation that they want to remain in control and keep their wealth. The way they maneuver out of certain situations is by bargaining, even if they don't intend to keep their end of the deal.
The Joker can't be negotiated with, and I hope The Batman - Part II keeps this aspect of his character. It will be interesting to see how Oz deals with someone who he can't bargain or reason with. Joker can throw his empire into disarray, and cause a massive upheaval in Gotham's criminal underworld. This is something that Batman would have to address himself if it unfolded, as he tries to keep the Joker's madness from escaping into Gotham's soul.
The Batman Part II
- Release Date
- October 1, 2027
- Director
- Matt Reeves
- Writers
- Matt Reeves, Mattson Tomlin, Bill Finger, Bob Kane
- Prequel(s)
- The Batman
- Franchise(s)
- Batman
Cast
Bruce Wayne / The Batman
Oz Cobb
Alfred Pennyworth
James Gordon
The Batman Part II is the sequel to Matt Reeve's The Batman, released in 2022, and will continue where the original film left off. The film shares a universe with the HBO Max original Penguin series and sees the return of the Riddler and a different incarnation of the Joker.
