Since he’s portrayed DC’s notorious Clown Prince of Crime on the big screens, it’s not much of a surprise that Joaquin Phoenix geeks out on comic books. But no one would’ve expected him to have a full-fledged collection of comics like treasured relics. Unfortunately enough for him, however, his precious reserve, in today’s time, isn’t exactly tantamount to a goldmine, and well, that irks the Oscar winner more than he’d like.
Joaquin Phoenix’s Comic Collection Disappoints Him
Although he’d read only one Joker comic before starring in the iconic villain’s origin film, Joaquin Phoenix is still very much of a comic book buff and a proud owner of some rather choice issues which includes Wolverine’s first feature.
Despite that, the 48-year-old actor isn’t exactly ecstatic about the bevy of comics he owns, because as upsetting as it might be to admit, a comic worth a hundred books amounts to loose change in the present day; not the most valuable possession, now is it (the sentimental value kept aside, of course)?
“I’m disappointed that my comics aren’t more valuable. When you’re a kid, a hundred bucks is like a lot, right? I remember reading comics, being so excited: ‘Oh, man, it’s going to be worth 150 bucks!’ And then you’re an adult with a mortgage and you realize that all of your comics, it doesn’t amount to much.”
Contrary to what one might assume though, it wasn’t his undying love for comics that made him resist movie adaptations before 2019’s Joker, it was instead the fear of “getting locked into something repeatedly” which he wasn’t particularly passionate about that made him inch away from the superhero genre (via MovieWeb). Even in the case of the Todd Phillips-helmed movie, Phoenix took about four long months to finally agree to lead the project as Batman’s unhinged adversary. And well, the rest is film history.
The Factor of Originality is What Pushed Him to Do Joker
Phoenix, who’d turned down a number of superhero roles in the past, including Marvel’s Doctor Strange, had initially been just as unconvinced about playing DC’s Joker. But alas, Phillips’ ingenuine vision of the character and his background paired with the fact that the script was more of a distinctive exploration of Joker rather than a replica of the comics, encouraged Phoenix to give it a whirl. Although it is considered to be a superhero film, as the Gladiator star himself remarked, it is more or less one “without blueprint.”
See also: “I’m guilty”: Oscar Winning DC Star Joaquin Phoenix Hates His Own Method Acting
Thanks to Phoenix’s awe-inspiring delivery and the director’s impeccable execution of his vision, Joker was a megahit, amassing roughly $1 billion worldwide against a production budget of merely $55-70 million. Not to mention, it also made the audience fall in love with the leading man’s engrossing performance, albeit it left critics polarized at large. And let’s not forget the plethora of esteemed accolades that it ended up taking home, including two Academy Awards out of 11 glorious nominations.
No wonder, there’s a sequel in the making; Joker: Folie à Deux is slated to release on October 4, 2024. Meanwhile, you can stream Joker on Max or rent/purchase it on Apple Tv+.
Source: USA Today
