Joker is set to be a huge departure for the character. According to director Todd Phillips, that was part of the intention for the film, and he believes some fans may not care for the changes the movie makes to the iconic villain.
Phillips revealed to Empire that the new film doesn't adopt any story beats from the comics. Phillips, who also co-wrote the film, explained, "We didn’t follow anything from the comic books, which people are gonna be mad about... We just wrote our own version of where a guy like Joker might come from. That’s what was interesting to me. We’re not even doing Joker, but the story of becoming Joker. It’s about this man.”
Fan speculation about the film and its version of the Joker has been running rampant since the first trailer was released. Phillips has been open about the film not meeting fan expectations, and that many fan theories aren't going to be the case for the film.
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais and Shea Whigham. The film arrives in theaters Oct. 4.