‘The Batman’ Director Matt Reeves On Why He Kept Barry Keoghan’s Joker Scene

"Gotham loves a comeback story..."

The Batman Joker Barry Keoghan Matt Reeves

Matt Reeves explained why he kept that scene with Barry Keoghan’s Joker towards the end of The Batman.

Following a successful run in theaters, Matt Reeves’ The Batman is now available digitally, including an exclusive streaming debut on HBO Max. The film, which stars Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader showcased the origins of the Gotham City audiences have known for generations as the corrupt, crime-ridden world in which the Dark Knight engages with on a nightly basis. The film’s primary antagonist Edward Nashton AKA The Riddler (Paul Dano) ends his arc in Arkham, in which he is shown initially distraught from his plans not going his way. He finds comfort in a finding new friend in the cell right next to his. Credited as “Unnamed Arkham Prisoner,” (Barry Keoghan), it is clear that this is the most iconic villain in comic book history: The Joker.

The addition of this scene featuring Barry Keoghan as The Joker towards the end of The Batman left some critics and audiences scratching their heads, especially given that some felt that it was a way to set up sequels. In the official Director’s Commentary for the film, which is currently an Apple iTunes exclusive, Matt Reeves revealed why he decided to keep this scene in the film:

“A lot of people ask me, ‘Is this a set up for another movie?’ and to be honest it really isn’t. This for me was tracking because Paul and The Riddler was in the action of the third act in a very particular way, and the last we’d seen him he was saying ‘Boom!’ in his window as the bombs went off, and we hadn’t yet seen him take in the fact that Batman had been able to pull things back from the brink and that his plan had not played out, I really wanted to see the end of that arc for Riddler.”

It’s interesting to hear that everything regarding Barry Keoghan’s Joker appearance at the end of The Batman was more so to fulfill the character arc of Paul Dano’s Riddler. Although the future of both these villains remains unknown for the time being, it will be interesting to see if Matt Reeves implements them along with more of the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery into future stories.

Recently, a deleted scene from The Batman showcased a bit more from Matt Reeves’ vision. The scene involved Robert Pattinson’s titular hero visiting Arkham to interrogate Barry Keoghan’s Joker. The scene immediately went viral, with some fans expressing hopes to see more of this take on the Clown Prince of Crime in the future.

Here is the synopsis for Matt Reeves’ The Batman:

Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.

When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.

Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as the titular hero and Bruce Wayne, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál, with Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, and Barry Keoghan as The Joker.

The Batman is now available to own digitally and streaming exclusively on HBO Max, with physical media dropping on May 24. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the future of Matt Reeves’ franchise and Barry Keoghan’s Joker, and subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Source: The Wrap

Noah Villaverde

Noah Villaverde

Cinema lover. Saxophone player. Coffee consumer. Chronic complainer. Oh, I also write. #TeamHeroic