The Batman’s premiere has come and gone. If you haven’t heard by now, the arrival of a new Joker has tagged along for the ride, as well.
Matt Reeves opted to wait until the very end of The Batman to sprinkle in some Barry Keoghan, and the mild dose of a younger, more tortured Joker didn’t leave the impact some thought it would.
In fact, I was woefully underwhelmed at first. Barry Keoghan’s Joker could barely be seen at the end of The Batman’s theatrical release, to be fair.
Of course, that’s also coming on the heels of – dare I say it – the best pure adaptation of the caped crusader I have ever seen, as well as following in the footsteps of the great Heather Ledger.
But then came the deleted Joker scene, and suddenly sparks started to fly. Looking back (and forward), I can confidently say that Barry Keoghan’s Joker isn’t going to disappoint. Here’s why.
That Deleted Joker Scene from The Batman Was Awesome
I’ll give you two reveals, if you still haven’t seen the latest Batman installment in theaters (btw, it also dropped on HBO Max, and it’s now been over a month old).
First, we got a taste of the new Joker in the actual movie. Then, Reeves did us all a solid and gave us a longer scene where Barry Keoghan’s Joker actually interacted with Batman.
You can see from the video that Barry Keoghan is doing something different from past renditions of the Joker. The Joker in The Batman is dark. He’s twisted. He’s younger. He’s truly not right.
He’s also flat out deformed.
Past Joker iterations had something go wrong. Ledger’s Joker had scars on his face. Jack Nicholson’s character was dipped into a vat of goo.
But the Joker in The Batman has seriously been through some shit.
He seems to be putting on a happy face – although it doesn’t seem he has much of a choice – but he’s also a bit touched in the head, and he finds humor in a messed up situation.
The deleted scene between Barry Keoghan’s Joker and Batman doesn’t tell us much beyond that. They know each other, in some weird way they may even respect each other, and Batman is coming to him for help.
It’s not necessarily that Batman feels he can trust Joker, but perhaps he felt if he could get inside Joker’s demented mind, he could better understand The Riddler and predict what he’d do next.
Whatever comes next, that Joker deleted scene was quite the effective tease.
The Joker and The Batman Have Chemistry
Branching off of the wonderful deleted Barry Keoghan Joker scene from The Batman, it’s pretty clear that this new Joker and our freshly minted Batman have outstanding chemistry.
That’s easy to see, and it’s easy to say. Why? Because Pattinson smashed this role to the point where he and his co-stars were dripping with chemistry at every turn.
Pattinson had the will they/won’t they thing going with Zoe Kravitz.
He also had the “you’re not my dad, but you’re totally my dad” with Alfred, and he had the “we’re not the same, but we’re kinda the same” song and dance with Paul Dano’s Riddler.
Every step of the way, Pattinson’s brooding, hurting, and vengeful Batman left a mark on his counterparts. It’s quite arguable, though, that his youthfulness, eagerness, and flat out desperation was never quite as palpable as it was in that deleted scene.
Nobody ever seems to fully know either of these characters. But in a very real way, they both know each other to their core.
We only caught a glimpse of that, which suggests the potential for this duo is through the roof.
Pattinson might already be the best Batman ever. I normally say it takes an amazing villain to elevate a superhero movie. In this franchise’s case, it isn’t fully necessary. However, the upside with these two is so ridiculous, that I might argue you could be looking at the best Batman franchise in history.
The New Joker is as Genuine as They Come
Another big reason why Barry Keoghan’s Joker could be the best yet? His portrayal comes off as remarkably genuine.
There is no forced campiness here. There are no gimmicks. He’s not trying to be something he’s not, and he’s not going out of his way to make this character come alive.
Unlike some people we know.
Rather, he’s breathing fresh life into it. He’s almost just attaching himself to a stripped down version of the character and allowing it to take him for a ride.
Matt Reaves has been adamant about creating a grounded Batman universe, and it shows with what he did with the Joker.
Granted, we’ve seen only a handful of minutes of Keoghan doing his work as the Joker, but what he’s selling us is a Joker who has no real motivation, he has no true agenda, and he’s not trying to be anything or anyone other than his own true self.
That is ultimately probably a guy still wholly embedded in this world as an agent of chaos, but the real point here is nothing about the new Joker’s temporary visit on the big (and small) screen suggests this will be a performance that feels anything less than real.
Across from him is a wide-eyed Batman, but one that is human, flawed, and merely at the beginning of his journey.
Everything about the world Reeves has created in The Batman screams “genuine”, and even this mild dose of the Joker suggests Gotham’s most notorious character won’t be deviating from the franchise’s mission statement.
The Batman’s Joker Is Reinventing the Character
Okay, so let’s recap so far. The deleted Barry Keoghan Joker scene in The Batman did not disappoint. The latest installment of this character already has amazing chemistry with the main star, and the actor’s portrayal is also genuine.
That all sounds terrific, but one thing that sends it home for me is that this character is just different.
Every Joker you’ve seen is “not right” in the head. A screw is loose. They’re messed up. Whatever. They went to Arkham for a reason, so one way or another, the actor playing the Joker needs to get that message across.
Yes, even Ledger’s approach (as damn near flawless as it was) still bordered on campy, clearly tried to be funny, and often had him doing things that made you wonder.
That’s a mild reach, to be clear, as I loved that take on the Joker, and to this point, Ledger’s take is 100% the best we’ve had. BTW, it’s also probably my favorite villain performance in film history.
But Barry Keoghan’s Joker may be coming from a more relatable zone. Even Joaquin Phoenix – who delivered a masterful case study in a man spurned by society – still offered a detached version of the character.
That was so much the case, in fact, that we were left wondering if what we saw even happened. Later, there was speculation as to whether or not the Joker origin story we just witnessed was even about the REAL Joker.
Ugh, what a mind F.
The point? Keoghan’s Joker is being thrust into a well constructed Batman adaptation that isn’t getting too cute in any regard, and just wants to tell the best Batman story of all-time.
A big part of doing that is giving us comic book villains we know, but spinning them in different ways to the point where we don’t completely recognize them.
With the new Joker, he still resembles a clown, and the laugh and voice are there, but there’s something very real about what we’re getting here. When you look at some of the murderous wackos in the world, it’s almost a bit too real, and that tiny bit of discomfort the new Joker gives us is part of why he may be the best we’ve seen.
Barry Keoghan’s Resume Speaks for Itself
Excited about the new Joker played by Barry Keoghan? Convinced Barry Keoghan’s Joker will be the best ever? Yeah, I didn’t think I’d get you so easily.
To be fair, I’ll admit we can’t know a thing until we see more of him – much more.
That said, everything I’ve seen in a very small window tells me I’ll be pleased with what’s to come. Part of my optimism also stems from what the 29-year old actor has already put on screen elsewhere, too.
Keoghan has 37 acting credits to his name, but there’s no denying the darkness he unleashed in The Killing of a Scared Deer is what got him this gig.
Only time will tell if Barry Keoghan’s Joker will truly deliver. All I know is I won’t feel the same about spaghetti ever again.
That said, I’ve seen enough from Keoghan to believe we’re getting the most fully realized version of this character, and quite possible the best overall rendition in history.
I might keep Heath Ledger’s Joker at the top spot for a while before I officially pass the mantle, though.
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