The 1993 cult classic Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is considered to be an underrated theatrically-released Batman film. Although it’s animated and even features the voices of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill from the acclaimed animated series as Batman and The Joker respectively, it has been praised as an excellent story and visuals that helped define this iteration of the Caped Crusader as perhaps the definitive interpretation of the character.
The film’s climax finds The Joker getting caught within the explosions at the amusement park. Some have seen this as how The Joker eventually dies, and Mark Hamill isn’t opposed to that idea since he played this part as if he were about to perish.
Hamill recently explained his thoughts on The Joker and the character’s inevitable doom in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm with some interesting insight:
“Sometimes you have to play the scene like he’s dying, but anyone that knows comics knows that he’ll never be completely dead.”
Hamill makes an interesting point here. No matter how many times The Joker may end up failing in his plans to thwart Batman, he will always end up coming back. In a lot of ways, Batman simply cannot exist without The Joker. It’s a circular narrative of chaos that keeps them both alive.
To borrow a quote from Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, “No one’s ever really gone.”
The Joker will next be seen on the big screen with Academy Award-nominee Joaquin Phoenix in the role. Here is the synopsis for that film:
“Joker” centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.
Directed by Todd Phillips from a script he co-wrote with Scott Silver, Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais, and Shea Whigham.
Joker will be released in theaters on October 4, 2019.
Source: THR