In a film already comprised of some of the Caped Crusader's most well-known villains, the newest trailer for The Batman may have included a few hints toward one of his most notorious opponents: The Joker.
Robert Pattinson's debut as Bruce Wayne in The Batman will already challenge his character in a way that no other Batman film has before. The Batman is already set to include the anti-heroic Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), The Riddler (Paul Dano), and Penguin (Colin Farrell). The newest Japanese trailer for The Batman may have included another villain who will also terrorize Gotham.
In the newest trailer for The Batman, many fans believe they have spotted a few hints toward a potential appearance of the Joker. Early in the trailer, as The Riddler unveils his sinister plans for Batman and the city of Gotham, a shot containing a disturbing collage of photographs is shown. One of the photographs focuses on Bruce's face and over his shoulder is a smiling face that appears eerily similar to the one often sported by the Joker. By the end of the trailer, another potential hint arises. Batman removes his mask as he meets with an unidentified prisoner and as the prisoner begins to speak, he also begins to laugh.
With the Joker's laugh being such a prominent staple of his character, the final seconds of the trailer including that sound may serve as a clue toward the Clown Prince of Crime. Previous hints about the Joker's inclusion in The Batman began to fly after Barry Keoghan's brother responded to a post that fueld the rumour of Keoghan's role as Joker. In the now-deleted post, Keoghan's brother wrote that Barry's role as Joker was "finally out," suggesting that Keoghan may not be playing Stanley Merkel as the original casting announcement once revealed.
There remains no confirmation from those involved with the production of The Batman or Keoghan himself about the rumors regarding Joker or his role in the film, though the newest trailer seems to confirm that the villain is lurking around Gotham somewhere. However, the laughter heard near the end of the trailer could simply be a tease. The sound could belong to an equally maniacal character in The Riddler, who could have been captured by Batman at some point in the film. The prisoner at the end also refers to the Caped Crusader as Bruce Wayne rather than his masked alias, meaning that whoever it is knows Bruce's secret. Considering The Riddler's infatuation with Batman and the collage of Bruce Wayne seen earlier in the film, it could all tie into Dano's sinister character.
Whether Joker appears in The Batman or not, the DC film will offer a new side of Batman and the villains who oppose him. The teasers and trailers for the newest Batman adaptation have already begun to show a grittier side of the Caped Crusader and a much more aggressive and horrific side of villains like The Riddler. If Joker appears in The Batman, Pattinson's hero will certainly have his work cut out for him. Even if he doesn't, The Batman still has the makings to be one of the best movies of the upcoming year.
The Batman releases in theaters on March 4, 2022.
Source: One Media | Heroic Hollywood