Joker director Todd Phillips pitched an entirely new film label to Warner Bros., one he would have named "DC Black."

According to The Los Angeles Times, Phillips is concerned about how comic book fans may react to films such as his that deviate from the classic comic book origins of specific characters. To alleviate these worries, he proposed the formation of DC Black, a label that would serve as a starting point for "independent-minded films about these characters." DC was not a fan, telling him: "Calm down with the label -- how about you do one movie?"

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Comic book fans will recognize the label DC Black, as it is the name of the DC Comics imprint that presents classic characters in a more mature format. Some of its titles include Batman: Damned, Superman: Year One and Batman: Curse of the White Knight. 

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.

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