Three-time Oscar nomineeis in talks to star as The Joker in a standalone DC movie that will be directed by).The film will be an origin story that will take place in the 1980s and will follow the Joker's rise as a mastermind criminal. It's intended to feel more like a gritty crime drama than a comic-book movie, and it will not be a part of the DC Extended Universe. This meanscan still play the supervillain in thesequel and other DCEU installments.Phillips will also co-write the script alongside). Although initially rumored thatwould produce the film, his name has not been mentioned in recent reports.Phoenix can also be seen in's dramedy, the thriller, and as Jesus in the biblical drama