Joker is considered to be DC’s first live-action Elseworlds film, but which other Elseworlds tales should hit the big screen?

The upcoming Joker film, starring Joaquin Phoenix, is being labeled as the first DC Elseworlds film, meaning it exists in its own universe and is a completely original story that has no prior continuity.

Director Todd Phillips said this film is more inspired by 70’s cinema from Martin Scorsese than it is inspired by comics. And if Joker is a successful enough film, Warner Bros./DC will most likely pursue more original stories like this.

Here are some DC Elseworlds tales that could potentially be explored in future films.

Gotham by Gaslight

Photo Credit: Gotham by Gaslight/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc Image Acquired from DC Entertainment PR

The comic book that essentially started the Elseworld branding. It revolves around a reality where Bruce Wayne becomes Batman in 19th Century Gotham City and ends up facing off against Jack the Ripper. The visual aesthetic is heavily inspired by Victorian London and the steampunk genre.

A live-action film that presents Batman with those aesthetics would be stunning. It would also be really cool to see Batman solving a mystery the old fashioned way without the use of advanced technology. And a Batman/Jack the Ripper face-off would be worth the admission alone.

Batman Beyond

Photo Credit: Batman Beyond/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc Image Acquired from DC Entertainment PR

Ever since the Bruce Timm/Paul Dini DC Animated Universe, the futuristic world of Batman Beyond hasn’t really been all that explored. In Batman Beyond when Bruce got too old to fight crime, young prospect Terry McGinnis was chosen to be his successor. Terry wears a new high-tech Batsuit that can be described as Batman meets Iron Man.

Imagine Neo-Gotham looking like something out of Blade Runner with a Batman flying around and fighting bad guys. It would be awesome and WB needs to revive this property again.

Superman: Red Son

Superman traditionally fights for truth, justice, and the American way. But imagine if instead, he was perceived as a champion of the common worker, fighting a constant battle for Stalin, socialism and the international expansion of Warsaw Pact. That’s essentially the story Superman: Red Son is presenting.

What if Kal-El as a baby landed in Soviet-era Ukraine rather than Kansas? In the comics, Superman is used as the Soviet Union’s strong-arm to spread its influence across the globe. It would undoubtedly be his darkest portrayal ever on film and would be a different comic book movie experience. Also, if the film were inspired by the book’s amazing art, then it could end up being one of the most stunning comic book films ever.

Hero and Villain Role Reversal

Image Source: DC Digital Comics

The beauty of DC Elseworlds stories is the twists they put on pre-established characters. What if Superman became a villain instead of the colorful boy scout? What if Batman was a vampire? What if Hal Jordan put on the Yellow Ring instead of the Green?

How would the hero act as the antagonist, and how would their villain act as the protagonist? Not all potential future DC Elseworlds films have to be an adaptation. They could tell these exciting stories that can present a different reality where the heroes’ actions are morally wrong, while the familiar villains’ actions are morally gray.

Exploring New Ways To Tell A Story

Comic book films have become their own genre, offering a lot of storytelling flexibility. Each entry in the MCU explores a different genre with its heroes. The current and upcoming DC films are now just starting to realize their potential when it comes to finding new ways to tell a story revolving around comic book characters.

Joker revolves around a man named Arthur Fleck, a broken man who eventually falls into madness and becomes the most iconic comic book villain. Everything from its low budget, on-set filming, and overall gritty atmosphere suggest this is the complete opposite of the typical CGI-heavy superhero affair. Nothing of this small scale as ever been attempted with a character as big as the Joker. (Except Deadpool, but Deadpool as a character is nowhere near as big as The Joker.)

Phillips suggested this to differentiate DC films from the very successful MCU and also as a way to attract reputable filmmakers. He said the following on filming the movie on real-life locations:

“The energy you get from an actor is different on 179th Street and Jerome Avenue in the Bronx than if we did that with green screen, which, by the way, I don’t even know how to do s— like that. There’s not one green screen in this movie.”

This could definitely be an interesting way to approach storytelling revolving around comic book characters, and it could also be an opportunity to go in a completely new and unexpected direction with said characters.

The possibilities are endless for future filmmakers of DC Elseworlds films. It can either be a low-budget character study of a villain like Joker or something as big as Gotham by Gaslight that puts a familiar character in a completely new setting. Any comic book fan should be excited!