The following article contains spoilers for The Batman.
The Batman has finally arrived in theatres and there is much to discuss within the film's three-hour runtime, especially one of the final ending scenes, which may have introduced Batman's most infamous villain. Now director Matt Reeves has confirmed that the identity of the unnamed Arkham prisoner is in fact none other than the Joker.
The Batman introduces a wide array of villains for Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight to go up against, a couple being Paul Dano's Edward Nashton/Riddler and Colin Farrell's Penguin. Rumors were brewing before the film's release that Barry Keoghan was set to play the Joker after his own brother took to social media to reveal the news. While not totally confirmed, it now appears the caped crusader will have plenty of more foes to face, as the film's ending hints at who's to come in the sequel.
When the Riddler is captured by Batman and GCPD, he is brought to Arkham Hospital (commonly known as Arkham Asylum in the comics), the home for the criminally insane. In one of the film's ending scenes, he is seen chatting with a neighboring inmate whose face is hidden in shadows but his smile and green-tinged hair stick out. The unnamed inmate also teases his identity by telling the Riddler, "One day you're on top, the next day you’re a clown.” Now speaking with IGN, Reeves delved deeper into that particular scene, as the filmmaker not only confirmed the unnamed Arkham prisoner to be Keoghan's version of the Joker, but also revealed that they had shot an entirely different scene before it was cut.
"What's interesting is that the reason that Joker's in the movie is there was actually another scene that was earlier. And because the movie is not an origin tale for Batman, but it's his early days, it really is an origin tale for the Rogue's Gallery's characters,” Reeves shared. “And for me, I think [it’s] this idea that the Joker is not yet the Joker, but they already have this relationship. The scene that was not in the movie, the scene that this is really the companion to, which is actually a really cool scene that will be released at some point, it's a scene where Batman is so unnerved because the Riddler is writing to him. And he's like, ‘Well, why is this guy writing to me?’ And he figures he's got to profile this killer." Reeves then described a deleted scene from The Batman where the Caped Crusader visits Keoghan's character, who has not yet become the Joker, to get insight into Riddler.
Reeves continued, adding that his biggest inspiration for this new version of the iconic character harkens back to Conrad Veidt's character in the 1928 silent film The Man Who Laughs. Reeves decided that he wanted to instead give his Joker a biological condition to differentiate him from Jack Nicolson's (falling in the chemicals) or Heath Ledger's (having the scars) depictions. While there have been several portrayals of the character in the last 15 years, it will be interesting to see what Keoghan brings to the role and how he looks to differentiate himself from the rest.
Until that time comes, fans can now finally experience The Batman on the big screen. Unlike previous live-action installments, this film is focused heavily on the detective side of the hero and takes place in his second year of fighting crime, as he is forced to deal with corruption and tracking down the Riddler, a serial killer with ties to his tragic past. The Batman also stars Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Peter Sarsgaard as district attorney Gil Colson.
The Batman is now playing in theatres and will be available to stream on HBO Max on April 19, 2022.
Source: IGN/YouTube