Martin Scorsese Is Producing A Joker Origin Movie & Sure, Why The Hell Not

Maybe they’ve got a little more fuel in the tank now that Wonder Woman scored good reviews across the board, because DC Comics are planning some pretty out-there films for the post-Justice League era. They’re currently in talks for an origin story about The Joker, produced by none other than Martin Scorsese.

The Hangover‘s Todd Phillips is apparently set to direct the film, and co-write it with 8 Mile writer Scott Silver

Yep, it’s odd… but potentially somewhat interesting. Apparently, they’re planning a (currently unnamed) line of spinoff films around their classic characters, played by different actors. It’s an interesting concept, and might go some way toward differentiating DC’s characters from some of their less-well received iterations (Suicide Squad, anyone?)

Yes, this does mean that Jared Leto‘s absolutely painful 2006-era My Chemical Romance video clip interpretation of The Joker will likely not be featured here. So there’s hope.

Deadline reports that the goal here is to create a Joker film set in a Scorsese-style hardboiled Gotham City in the 80s, which certainly sounds pretty intriguing:

The intention is to make a gritty and grounded hard-boiled crime film set in early-’80s Gotham City that isn’t meant to feel like a DC movie as much as one of Scorsese’s films from that era, like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull or The King Of Comedy. I’m told that Phillips and Silver are writing already, but there is nothing firm on where this will fit into the DC schedule.

If you do love a bit of Leto in your life – for whatever reason – then never fear: he’s still going to be playing The Joker in a Suicide Squad sequel and a Harley Quinn film. This Harley Quinn spinoff doesn’t seem like it’ll be part of this new line of spinoffs.

Confused yet? You should be.

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