We have every reason to believe that The Batman (2021) and Joker (1991) are connected. Here is all the evidence you need to be convinced.
The DC Cinematic Universe is in code red. Warner Brothers have pulled the proverbial plug and the remains of the current universe is slowly draining away. Or, at least, the universe is being split in two; the Justice universe and the Batman universe, aptly named DC Dark.
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Matt Reeves’ has a clear vision of where the franchise is heading. Robert Pattinson has already been announced as the new Batman, and we now know that there are three villains in this upcoming reboot; Penguin, The Riddler and Catwoman. But, from what we know, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Bruce Wayne will face up against these baddies. The Batman is set to be more of a noir-esque murder mystery than a all-out action superhero flick. It looks like the DC Dark universe will be more like the hit television series Gotham, and we will get to see characters develop through a series of movies a-la Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, where is the evidence that The Batman (2021) and Joker (2019) are connected.
How are The Batman and Joker connected?
Warner Brothers have dropped some hints that are about as subtle as a fart in a library. The new Joker movie is clearly inspired by The Killing Joke.
The Killing Joke is Alan Moore’s and Brian Bolland’s controversial classic Batman comic from 1988. It expands on Bill Finger’s original Joker story, adding an empathetic backstory that imagined the character as a failed stand-up comedian, forced by circumstance into donning the Red Hood to support his pregnant wife.
We can see that the film adaptation has made some changes; instead of being a pregnant wife it is his sick mother. And this joker seems to be suffering from a mental illness.
“The worst part about having a mental disorder is…
people expect you to behave as if you don’t. ? “
This Joker is also set in the late 70’s or early 80’s, and it wasn’t the the cars that gave it away, it was the big clunky VHS tape recorder in the Joker’s house. Oh, and also Bruce Wayne is only about 8 in this movie.
We also know that the new Batman movie follows a young Bruce Wayne in his early days as the vigilante detective. Matt Reeves’ even described the new movie as a noir-esque murder mystery film. So, like the comics of old, expect to see Batman solve crimes with his brain and not his fists.
The recent announcement that Oswald Chesterfield Cobblebot, aka the Penguin, and Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, are in the new film makes me think that the Batman movie reboot is really a re-imagining of Tim Burton’s Batman. That would explain the much older joker. In the 80s films and the 60s TV series the joker was already a seasoned criminal before Bruce Wayne became Batman, and it looks like the reboot is following suit. Joaquin’s Joker even looks like Cesar Romero’s.
The Batman plot
A young Bruce Wayne has been dead-set on finding his parent’s killer. He stalks criminals at night hoping to find something that will lead him to his parent’s murderer. He meets an unlikely ally along the way who promises to be his eyes & ears in the club scene; a young Oswald Cobblepot. He then meets a pretty young lady called Selina Kyle who catches his fancy and helps him with his investigation.
Was the joker, or one of his lackeys, the killer? If you want to avoid any potential spoilers I recommend you click here right now, because I think I know exactly what happens at the end of Joker.
Spoiler Warning?
If you were as hyped as I was when they announced a new Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix you would have been scouring the internet for any leaks or information ever day. Earlier this year I found these pictures:
Sometimes you just don’t need to say anything because a picture say a 1, 000 words, and, in this case, many thousands of words. If you haven’t picked up on it already, it looks like the Joker is preparing an angry mob to lynch the Wayne family! Down with capitalism!
If you’ve watched the trailer I think it is pretty obvious what happened. The Joker’s mum is sick but he can’t afford her treatment. He tries to earn money doing what he can, but it just isn’t enough, she dies. He blames the rich. The wealthiest man in Gotham, Thomas Wayne, becomes the scapegoat for capitalism and greed. He eventually gets murdered by either the either Joker himself or his angry followers.
Joker’s actions create the DC Dark Universe
The events that unfold in Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker create what will be known as the DC Dark Universe. The death of Bruce Wayne’s parents leads to the creation of The Batman.
Whether or not we will see Joaquin Phoenix return as the Joker is still unclear; there is always a chance, albeit a small one. But I can confidently say that Joker exists within the same universe as Robert Pattinson’s The Batman.
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