it’s been a month since The Batman hit the theaters and we can’t still stop discussing it. Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman has one of the most accurate portrayals of the Dark Knight in the live-action adaptation. Set in a different universe instead of the main DCEU continuity, the movie takes a gritty and grounded approach to the character. Apart from the Caped Crusader himself, Reeves’ vision also serves as an origin story for Batman’s famous rogue gallery.
After the movie’s release, Matt Reeves revealed that The Batman has a deleted scene which was released just a few days ago. The deleted scene gives fans a better look at Barry Keoghan’s version of the Joker, who made a brief cameo at the end of the movie. While most of us were in awe of Keoghan’s terrifying version of the Joker, the scene surreptitiously set up the escape of the Clown Prince of Crime.
The Batman Deleted Scene Sets Up Joker’s Escape From Arkham
Though Barry Keoghan’s Joker has taken its inspiration from some of the iconic comic book storylines, he is still markedly different from his other live-action counterparts in a unique way. Instead of just serving as the arch-nemesis of the Dark Knight, Keoghan’s Joker delves deeper into the psyche of Batman. As evident from the deleted scene, both Batman and Joker share a relationship similar to Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs. As a result, the Dark Knight is shown to ‘consult’ the Joker to find some clues regarding the Riddler in the deleted scene.
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Though the Joker does give some valuable insights into the Riddler’s modus operandi, his primary focus doesn’t hinder away from the Dark Knight. During the intense sequence, the Clown Prince of Crime easily slithers under Batman’s skin, showcasing his prowess as a master manipulator. However, he also proves that Batman’s style of delivering justice is clearly not working for Gotham, only leading to more violence. But most importantly, the deleted scene quietly plots the escape of the Joker from Arkham.
Related: Why Deleting The Batman Arkham Scene Makes More Sense
How the Joker Escapes From Arkham Asylum
In the deleted scene, Robert Pattinson’s Batman is shown to hand a few files to Keoghan’s Joker to understand how the Riddler operates. While the Joker does give the Dark Knight some valuable information regarding the Riddler, his constant need to get under his nemesis’s skin pisses off Batman. As result, he takes back the files from the Joker. However, the scene has seemingly dropped an interesting piece that was caught by some eagle-eyed fans.
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When Pattinson’s Batman is shown to be handing the files to the Joker, fans noticed that the files contained a paperclip. However, the paperclip was surprisingly missing when the Joker returned the files to the Dark Knight. Though for any other movie this might have been considered as a slight mistake, but with Matt Reeves at the helm, the missing paperclip seems like a sleight of hand by the Joker to plan his own escape. While a paperclip might seem a harmless object, but at the hands of someone like Joker, it can very well become a weapon, or a key to escape Arkham.
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As The Batman was shown to take inspiration from the famous No Man’s Land storyline, it is highly possible that the sequel might directly pick from the catacylismic event where the criminal underbelly of Gotham try to capitalize on the misery of the citizens. But nevertheless, the party is never complete without the Joker, and the deleted scene might just have paved the path for his escape.
The Batman will stream on HBO Max on April 19, 2022.
