No one would ever peg Martin Scorsese to work on a comic book movie, but he's currently attached as producer for a Joker standalone film starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips. What's interesting is, the movie is said to be eyeing longtime Scorsese collaborator Robert De Niro to play a supporting role in the film.
As per That Hashtag Show, De Niro is said to be eyed for the role of Murray Franklin. No information about the role has been revealed other than his desired age, but it's interesting what they would want from De Niro in this movie. My first guess would have been that he was being eyed to play a crime lord, either Salvatore Maroni or Carmine Falcone.
We still don't know if De Niro wants the role either, but seeing that he's been playing more comedy roles that are a parody of his "badass" days, I'd want to see him in a serious and gritty movie like this one.
What's more, several other character descriptions have come out online. No one familiar has been revealed, but I'm hoping that these are all just code names for more familiar characters:
Penny: Supporting female (60-74), Caucasian. Lower class, very attractive in her younger days, still feels that way about herself. But recently her health has started failing, and she's nearly bedridden in her Lower East Side apartment which she shares with her grown son who just moved back home. She's obsessed with her former employer and can't believe that this is what her life has come to, that she has ended up here, like this.
Sophie Dumond: Supporting female (27-34), to play African American or to play Latina. Not beautiful, has a hardness to her, a single mother living on the Lower East Side, doing the best she can, trying to make ends meet; worn out by the grind of the city. She understands how the system is stacked against her and the people in her community, how unjust it all is for them. She's just trying to catch a break.
Randall: Supporting male (40-59), Caucasian. Thinks he's the wisest and most knowledgeable person in any room he's in, tries to present himself as a mentor to everybody, but is really just looking out for himself, burly.
Gary: Supporting male (30-49), any ethnicity to play a dwarf. Randall's best friend, he's good-natured and a buddy to his colleagues at work, one of the only decent people in the whole movie.
Hoyt Vaughn: Supporting male (50-69), any ethnicity. The old-school manager of hotel staff. He's seen it all, and finds it difficult to give a shit about much of anything anymore.
Detective Garrity: Supporting male (50-59), any ethnicity. Police Detective in a city on the brink; a by-the-book cop, worn down by all his years on the force. He doesn't care about or take into consideration any of the societal or political ramifications of his cases.
Detective Burke: Supporting male (30-39), any ethnicity. A Police Detective and Garrity's partner; he's an asshole, who gets off by being in a position of authority. Being a cop is how he defines himself.
I honestly don't know what to expect from this Joker movie, but the film does have some great names attached to the crew. With the film aiming to start shooting this September, hopefully we get some more solid info about it later in the year.
Fingers crossed we get our first look at next month's San Diego Comic-Con.
No release date has been announced for this Joker origin movie.
See Also: Nightwing Director Hypes Up the Future of the DCEU
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