Comic Book Movies

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

It's also kind of strange to not use Zemo, who has built-in story-line reasons from previous MCU projects to be part of the team. I mean, he's the only MCU character that was actually an original Thunderbolts member. Granted, you can't really have him as Citizen V since the circumstances are different in the MCU, but it's still kind of weird to not include him.

On the flip side, I'm curious to see how they will handle Schizophrenic Superman in this adaptation.

[Avaitor]

You'd think they'd play the "Marvel's Suicide Squad" angle a little more, but neither Suicide Squad movie did all that well, even though Gunn's is actually good.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Not that I ever take pleasure in any movie getting panned, but I'm completely unsurprised by Joker 2: Pretentious Subtitle's reception. This is from a director who's biggest success up to that point was a mediocre comedy in The Hangover that got to be a hit because it had no real competition at the time of it's release.

Todd Phillips also just came off the wrong way to me in some interviews making it clear that he was only doing a Joker movie to trick dumb audiences into seeing a "real" film and then proceeded to shamelessly ape two of Scorcese's most well-regarded films as something of his own. Needless to say I was pretty underwhelmed by Joker and had zero interest in the sequel. I also love the hypocrisy of condemning comic book films but also relying on not only adapting one, but shamelessly sequilizing it which even fans of the first movie thought was unnecessary.

As it stands, the negative reception isn't shocking to me. I think this time people can see the movie for what it is.

[Dr. Insomniac]

The whole press tour behind Joker 2 is a misfire, like how they kept insisting this isn't a musical, but a movie where characters sing songs in ways that heighten the themes of the story. Like, okay? Why is there even still an anti-musical bias in promotion when Barbie had a bunch of songs and that did really well?

And the leaks I've read... I guess the first Joker making a billion dollars meant Warner execs let Phillips do whatever he wanted, but even so, none of them looked at that ending and thought "What?"

[Avaitor]

Spoiler

Does he really get raped?

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[Dr. Insomniac]

Spoiler

I heard it's not explicit, but it's all but confirmed that a bunch of prison guards rape him.

The "A guy who looks exactly like Heath Ledger kills him and then carves the scars in his face to become TDK Joker" leak was only half-true.

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And for what it's worth, at least somebody liked the movie.

[Foggle]

Spoiler

I heard it's not explicit, but it's all but confirmed that a bunch of prison guards rape him.

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Spoiler

One of them is played by Irish national treasure Brendan Gleeson. My man has not been denied the academy awards he rightfully deserves for 30 years to be remembered as a prison guard who rapes the Joker...

Spiteful I know, but I'm really happy this film is flopping. It sounds insufferable and miserable in equal measure.

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[Dr. Insomniac]

There was always a low chance given what was said in interviews and the film side of the franchise's prior apathy to the character, but thanks to the latest episode of Penguin,

Spoiler

it's pretty safe to assume that Jason will never show up in the Reeves movies since Victor's going to take his most infamous "crowbar" moment pretty soon.

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It's been a little interesting contrasting how Phillips and Reeves do R-rated versions of Batman media. Because yeah, both are doing cover bands of other things, King of Comedy and Sopranos retrospectively, but "Oz Cobb" aside, Reeves is having a lot more fun playing with the mythos and sprinkling in nods that only a couple people will notice. Like replacing Hugo Strange with Mirror Man of all Z-listers as the Arkham Asylum head doctor.