WARNING: Minor spoiler for The Batman below.
On the heels of The Batman‘s release, director Matt Reeves not only revealed that, yes, the “Unnamed Arkham Prisoner” in the film’s final moments is Barry Keoghan as the Joker, but that the actor had filmed a deleted scene with Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight that was cut due to the film’s runtime stopping just short of three hours. In an interview with Variety, Reeves said the Joker basically filled a Hannibal Lecter-like role as Batman visited him in Arkham to try and get answers about Paul Dano’s Riddler. The scene also hinted at a prior history between the two.
If that sounds like the sort of thing that actually would’ve been great to see in the film, well, now you can judge for yourself. Warner Bros. has released the deleted scene, which plays out exactly as Reeves described it. Pattinson’s Batman appears in the Joker’s cell with a file on Riddler, which prompts an adversarial, but not entirely combative exchange between the two iconic characters. At least until the end, when this version of the Joker proves he’s also adept at getting into the Dark Knight’s head.
Not only does Batman leave with barely any insight into the Riddler, but the Joker has the last laugh as he taunts Batman for being just like his puzzle-obsessed foe. And he’s not entirely wrong.
The Batman is now playing in theaters and will start streaming April 19 on HBO Max.
(Via Variety)
