The Joaquin Phoenix-fronted Joker movie has come together very quickly. Now that the film is officially in development, it has been slapped with an October 4, 2019 release date and seems to have moved along quite nicely. That said, the latest development is one of the most exciting of the bunch, as it appears that producer Martin Scorsese may bring frequent collaborator Robert De Niro onboard for a role in the film.
This news comes courtesy of THR, as the report notes that Robert De Niro is currently in talks to sign on for Todd Phillips' Joker movie alongside Joaquin Phoenix. Though the deal is not yet confirmed, rumor has it that the Godfather Part 2 actor could play a talk show host who plays a major role in The Joker's origin story. If De Niro does indeed sign on for the film, it will mark his first-ever foray into the ever-expanding realm of comic book movies.
The prospect of Robert De Niro signing on for the Joker spinoff movie represents only the latest in a long line of developments that have signified just how different this is going to be compared to other DC movies that we have seen in recent years. Not only will the film take place separate from the DCEU continuity, but it will also set its story in the 1980s with an old-school gangster atmosphere, which helps explain why De Niro and Scorsese could be so integral to the project. Moreover, the film will have a relatively low budget of around $55 million, making it more of a drama than the typical superhero slugfest seen in movies like Avengers: Infinity War or Justice League.
Of course, no discussion of Robert De Niro's presence in the Joker cast would be complete without discussing the sheer strength of his filmography. Arguably one of the most iconic actors in Hollywood history, De Niro has become well-known for his malleability and his sheer intensity in films like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, and Heat (just to name a select few from his extensive resume). He has spent the last few years delving into more lighthearted films with an emphasis on comedy, so signing on for Joker could represent a step towards the tone of roles that made him a household icon back in the 1970s and 1980s.
CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to the Joker solo movie as new details about the project surface. As we mentioned earlier, the film will debut on October 4, 2019; as for this year's DC films, you can watch out for James Wan's Aquaman when the first-ever Arthur Currey solo movie premieres on the big screen later this year on December
