Since it was announced that an R-rated Joker movie would be added to the DC Universe, fans have been wondering how Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker will tie in with the Gotham world. Is Phoenix replacing Jared Leto, and will Robert Pattison’s Batman ever meet Phoenix’s Joker?
The director, Todd Phillips, has finally clarified Joker‘s connection to the DC universe.
“It’s not really connected to that [Worlds of DC] Universe,” Phillips said via ComicBook. “And it was really intentionally not.”
He continued: “I mean the original idea when I went to [Warner Bros] with the idea was not just about one movie, but about a label – sort of a side label to DC, where you can do these kind of character study, low-rent, low-budget movies, where you get a filmmaker to come in and do some deep dive into a character.
“So it was never meant to connect, so I don’t see it connecting to anything in the future. I think this is just this movie, you know?”
Joker will be released in movie theaters October 4th.
