Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is not only the best superhero movie, well, ever, but it’s also one of cinema’s most impressive accomplishments. When critics consider the best of the best, a few selections usually bob to the surface: Citizen Kane, The Godfather, Schindler’s List, etc. No one could have imagined that a superhero sequel would ever face off against those titles. And yet, many critics out there would put Nolan’s stunning Batman opus in the same league.
Of course, at the center of it all is Heath Ledger’s incredible portrayal of the Joker, a terrifying force for chaos so compelling that he’ll haunt your dreams. The actor’s transformative, physically grotesque performance is worthy of every accolade it received, and as such, it’s no surprise that Todd Phillips’ upcoming origin movie for the character is now looking to The Dark Knight for inspiration.
Or at least, that’s what ComicBook.com believes, as they’ve drawn a few parallels between Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayals of the Clown Prince of Crime. It all comes down to appearance, as some set pics from Phillips’ film leaked online recently and the look of Arthur Fleck (the man who would be Joker) has definitely got a bit of a TDK vibe to it.
See for yourself in the gallery down below:
As ComicBook.com points out, both Fleck and The Dark Knight‘s Joker have “disheveled long hair hanging in strands,” they’re both dressed in “multiple layers of what looks like organic fabrics (wool or cotton, etc),” they both appear “generally haggard with slumped shoulders” and each one “dresses for a middle-management job with a modest income, and maybe got these clothes from a Salvation Army or somewhere similar.”
While these similarities could just be coincidence, ComicBook.com certainly makes some good points and it has us wondering if Phillips is intentionally looking at The Dark Knight for inspiration. And if he his, what other elements from the film might he be using for Joker? Time will tell, but as more from the set emerges, we’ll be sure to let you know.