Joaquin Phoenix is the latest actor to tackle the role of The Joker - and his turn as the villain is already a controversial topic.
After the first trailer for the film was released, there were fears that the film could spark copycat violence.
The FBI has identified threats from incel extremists which led U.S. Military to warn service members about the possibility of mass shootings at Joker screenings.
In a memo to service members, the Army reportedly explained that incels tend to “idolize the Joker character, the violent clown from the Batman series, admiring his depiction as a man who must pretend to be happy, but eventually fights back against bullies.”
One American theater chain, the upscale Alamo Drafthouse, is already increasing security for its movie showings.
Vanity Fair sat down with The Joker director Todd Phillips and Phoenix to discuss the latter's role in the movie, a notoriously complex one. Phoenix previously walked out of an interview when he was asked about violence in The Joker.
“It’s a difficult film. In some ways, it’s good that people are having a strong reaction to it,” Phoenix said.
The film is a character study of one of the most violent villains in comic book history.
Discussing the character, Phoenix said, “You can either say here’s somebody who, like everybody, needed to be heard and understood and to have a voice. Or you can say this is somebody that disproportionately needs a large quantity of people to be fixated on him. His satisfaction comes as he stands in amongst the madness.”
Phillips also responded to warnings of copycat violence.
“We’re making a movie about a fictional character in a fictional world, ultimately, and your hope is that people take it for what it is,” he said.
“You can’t blame movies for a world that is so f***cked up that anything can trigger it. That’s kind of what the movie is about. It’s not a call to action. If anything it’s a call to self-reflection to society.”
