As we know, Robert Pattinson and Joaquin Phoenix will continue the roles of Batman and Joker, two iconic rivals in DC Comics. But unlike the version of Batman and Joker who always meet in one movie, The Batman and Joker turn out to be in different universes. How come? Check out the answer below.
1. The Batman and Joker Are Not in the Same Universe
Although there are many similarities, Matt Reeves has denied the notion that Todd Phillips’ The Batman and Joker are in the same universe.
Looking at the differences between the two films, the possibility that Robert Pattinson, who plays a vigilante, will face off against Joaquin Phoenix’s Clown Prince of Crime seems very small.
This is even clearer when considering the events that take place in these two movies and their planned sequels, which go in very different directions. Therefore, The Batman and Joker are actually much less connected than some might think.
2. Different Time Settings
One of the aspects that makes Joker so effective is its retro feel, so that the quieter version of Gotham City in this movie feels similar to the most violent elements of New York City in the 1970s and 1980s.
The city faced a variety of worsening problems during that period, culminating in the infamous power outage of 1977.
That is the atmosphere that Joker created in the image of Gotham. Therefore, the movie is clearly set in the context of that era, without any elements of technological modernity. There are no advanced computers, cell phones, or similar elements that are usually present today in a Joker movie.
Meanwhile, The Batman is set in the modern era. In the movie, there is information that Thomas Wayne ran for mayor in 2001, which suggests that the story time is in 2021, based on the mention of “20 years ago” in the dialog. This further emphasizes that the Wayne family still exists in the 21st century in this timeline.
3. The Joker version of the Wayne family is different from The Batman version
Arthur Fleck or as we know him as the Joker (Joaquin Phoenix), believes that Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen) is his father. When he visits Thomas Wayne’s house, he meets a little boy and tries to comfort him. The little boy is later confirmed to be the young Bruce Wayne (Dante Pereira-Olson).
The Wayne’s in Joker are portrayed as a proud and greedy family. At the end of the movie, they finally lost their lives and left a young Bruce Wayne in loneliness.
In contrast, Thomas Wayne in The Batman is more passive, which leads to him dealing with the notorious villain Carmine Falcone. Wayne in The Batman is trying to be the good guy trying to do his best in a morally complicated situation.
Both gave a lot of information about their respective movies and the impact that Bruce’s father might have on his future crime-fighting career.
4. The Batman Has Its Own Version of the Joker
If you remember, there was a moment where The Riddler was held in Arkham Asylum and interacted with a prisoner. Many fans speculated that the prisoner was the Joker.
This speculation is further strengthened by the release of a deleted scene from The Batman. The scene shows Batman meeting the Joker (Barry Keoghan) as they discuss the reasons behind The Riddler’s crimes.
5. Can The Batman and Joker be Connected to the DCU?
DC Comics adaptations to movies often leave fans feeling confused. They question the change from the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) to the DC Universe (DCU) as well as the fate of DC films that are not connected to the DCEU, such as Joker and The Batman.
James Gunn as the leader of the DCU, revealed that the projects that are not connected to the DCU are called DC: Elseworlds.
For those unfamiliar with the DC universe, Elseworlds is the idea of depicting a universe that is separate from the main universe. This concept gives writers and creators the opportunity to explore and create their own version of the DC universe.
James Gunn utilized this Elseworlds concept to protect the franchise developed by Matt Reeves, Todd Philips, and other creators without being dependent on the DCU.
