Joaquin Phoenix, Oscar winner for his incredible performance playing the Joker in the eponymous film, was the one and only Bruce Wayne in director Darren Aronofsky's head. But that wasn't the case with Warner Bros. … From now on, Joaquin Phoenix will forever be associated with the Joker. Just like Jack Nicholson or Heath Ledger before him. However, the actor could have played another role. A role at the antipodes of his Machiavellian character and that, 20 years earlier. Indeed, long before playing Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix could have embodied his legendary opponent: Bruce Wayne! The news seems hardly believable and yet it is very true. Joaquin Phoenix was set to star in a Batman movie directed by Darren Aronofsky (Mother!). This feature film was supposed to be produced by Warner Bros. in the early 2000s. All after the success of Requiem For A Dream with Jared Leto (another Joker decidedly…). Unfortunately, this new version of the Dark Knight never saw the light of day. In the latest issue of Empire, director Darren Aronofsky gives us the reason. He explains the plan he had in mind was very different from the one wanted by the studio:
"[Warner Bros.] wanted Freddie Prinze Jr to play Batman. And I wanted Joaquin Phoenix ! I remember thinking: Oh, we're going on two totally different movies… This is a true story. It was a different time. The Batman I wrote was clearly in a very different style than what they ended up doing."
The dissensions over the choice of the actor will definitively put an end to the project. Joaquin Phoenix will never be chosen as Batman and will have the career we all know. As for Freddie Prinze Jr, he will alternate between films, television series and dubbing. It was Christopher Nolan who finally took over the project. The director borrowed elements from Frank Miller's Batman: Year One comic book. But, Darren Aronofsky wanted a much closer and more faithful adaptation to these comics. However, he would still have added little nods here and there to Death Wish, The French Connection and Taxi Driver. Aronofsky revealed that Frank Miller himself was to participate in the script:
"It was amazing, because I was a big fan of his work. Just meeting him, I was super excited at the time… "
According to Empire, Frank Miller was surprised at how Darren Aronofsky had a dark version of The Dark Knight, for his film. But the filmmaker explains this very easily:
"The Batman that came out before (mine) was Batman & Robin (1997), the famous movie that showed a Batsuit with nipples! So I was really trying to cross it all out and reinvent the character. That was my state of mind."
In view of these remarks, it is clear that Aronofsky 's version was more obscure. In retrospect, we still regret it. But if Warner Bros. had agreed, Joaquin Phoenix would never have become the Joker. And Christian Bale would never have slipped into the skin of the Dark Knight. We can always wonder what this version would have looked like but… With "ifs", we would bottle Paris!
Trailer – Joker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoTx1cYC5u8
