The comic book genre continues to be a powerful force in the entertainment industry, with projects like Spider-Man: No Way Home able to break box office records in the midst of the pandemic. DC fans can’t wait to see Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which offers a new take on Robert Pattinson’s title character. Some epic fan art has cast Willem Dafoe as the Joker, and sign me up.
Willem Dafoe is a massively acclaimed actor, who has proven his ability to work in both blockbusters and prestige films like The Lighthouse. Matt Reeves is creating a Gotham City disconnected from the main DCEU for The Batman, featuring an all-star cast of actors. Fans have been theorizing about who might show up in a possible sequel, leading to epic fan art of Dafoe as the Clown Prince of Crime. Check it out below,
I mean, how cool is that? You can’t deny that Willem Dafoe looks awesome as Joker. And given his previous experience in comic book projects like Spider-Man and Aquaman, he seems like the perfect actor to take on the mantle of the iconic villain. We’ll just have to see if Matt Reeves has plans to bring Mr. J to The Batman’s sequel or developing spinoffs.
The above image comes to us from the Instagram of a digital artist named César. They’ve amassed an impressive 154k followers on the social media outlet thanks to the stunning fan art featuring comic book characters. This rendering of The Joker is no exception, and is sure to inspire a few fan theories about Willem Dafoe joining the burgeoning franchise.
Given the pedigree of actors in The Batman, it doesn’t seem out of the question that Willem Dafoe might join in on the fun in a potential sequel. Matt Reeves’ highly anticipated movie features the talents of Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, Andy Serkis, and Jeffrey Wright among others. We’ll just have to see which members of this stellar ensemble get to reprise their roles in a future project.
Taking on the role of The Joker is a big undertaking, one that’s been done to varying levels of success throughout the years. Both Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix received Oscars for playing the iconic Batman villain, while Jared Leto’s performance in Suicide Squad ended up largely on the cutting room floor. But Willem Dafoe seems like a genius choice for the role, as the acclaimed actor always gives 100 percent of his commitment on camera.
Of course, it’s currently unclear if The Batman will even get a sequel, let alone what characters Matt Reeves might be bringing to his version of Gotham City. We’ll just have to wait and see how the first movie performs at the box office, as well as the reception for its HBO Max spinoff.
The Batman will hit theaters on March 4th, and you can see Willem Dafoe in Spider-Man: No Way Home now. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
