I’m Okay With Barry Keoghan’s Joker Scene Being Cut From “The Batman”

Barry Keoghan’s Joker had a bigger role in director Matt Reeve’s The Batman. However, his scene was cut from the final version of the film. Warner Bros. has released the deleted scene, and I have to say, I’m okay with it remaining deleted and the Joker only getting a cameo appearance.

I’m going to try and make this article about The Batman as spoiler-free as possible.

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against Barry Keoghan playing the Joker in the current live-action Batman film series. It’s just that having seen the five-minute-long deleted scene, I think there was no need for it to be added in the final cut. In my opinion, the Joker’s interaction with Robert Pattinson‘s Batman made the Caped Crusader appear helpless in a manner that didn’t add anything to the overall narrative.  

According to an interview Reeves did with Variety in February, he wanted Batman to feel insecure after the Riddler (Paul Dano) killed a particular person. Said insecurity led Batman to seek some kind of assistance from the Joker, similar to what we have seen in Manhunter or Mindhunter.

Also, if you haven’t watched Mindhunter yet, I highly recommend that you do so right now on Netflix. From David Fincher, it stars Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv. It’s so good! The second season was released back in August of 2019. I hope it returns for a third season soon.

Anyway, I could see the Mindhunter inspiration during the deleted scene. It also reminded me of Clarice’s interactions with Hannibal Lecter during The Silence of the Lambs.

Due to the kind of read he had on Batman’s psyche, the Joker brought up good points hinting at that perhaps deep down Batman agreed with the Riddler’s method of getting rid of certain people to make Gotham less corrupt. I also liked the Joker’s flirty vibe, mentioning how it was almost their anniversary. I’m always here for Batman’s rogues’ gallery being in love with him. It doesn’t have to be romantic, but it sure needs to be toxic.

However, ultimately, while I enjoyed Keoghan’s performance, I’m okay with the scene being deleted and allowing Batman to handle the Riddler situation on his own and also messing up along the way as a young detective.

Here’s the deleted scene!

I have to say that I really like the visual of Keoghan’s Joker. Michael Marino did the makeup. And while Reeves’ shared that his Joker looks like the way he does due to some kind of biological condition, I have already seen a number of fans share that they would like the current Batman story to stick with the Joker falling into a vat of chemicals that led to his facial features being distorted. Let’s see if Joker’s physical appearance is explained when the film series returns for a sequel.

Some fans have shared that Keoghan’s performance reminded them of the late Heath Ledger‘s take on the Joker. But that’s a whole other discussion.

The Batman was released in the US on March 4, 2022. The reported production budget is approximately $200 million. As of writing this, The Batman has gone on to gross more than $600 million at the global box office. Many fans are hoping for it to reach the $1 billion mark but I feel that’s highly unlikely.

Did you watch The Batman? What did you think of the Joker’s scene being cut?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

Twitter

Help support independent journalism. Subscribe to our Patreon.

Copyright © The Geekiary