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Before the film has even hit theaters, Joker has been embroiled in controversy, despite some officials saying there is yet to be a reason to assume the release of the film will result in real-world violence. Back in 2012, a late-night screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado resulted in tragedy when a man burst into the theater and began shooting, killing 12 audience members. The previous film in the series saw the Joker acting as an agent of chaos, with the shooter dying his hair bright red for the attack and igniting initial reports that claimed the shooter admitted to doing this as an homage to the homicidal character.

The grim subject matter of the film, in conjunction with the Aurora shooting and the growing number of mass shootings, has resulted in speculation from some individuals that the film's release will serve as a catalyst for more violence to occur.

“No credible threats at this time, but we are going to closely monitor what’s going on,” an LAPD spokesperson shared with TheWrap.

Dating back to the Columbine High School massacre of 1999, the media has attempted to blame movies, TV, music, and video games for real-world violence, as opposed to taking accountability for the countless instances of real-world violence and gun control regulations that are more directly related to such tragedies. What makes Joker different from its peers is that, based on its marketing campaign, the film appears to be focusing on a man who feels held back by society and is driven to violence as a means of seeking justice for all the ways in which the world has wronged him. Given how closely this falls in line with the perpetrators of mass shootings, some audiences are wary of the ways in which the film could glamorize the embrace of violent instincts.

Concerns over real-world violence have become such a dominating factor of the discourse surrounding the film, Warner Bros. offered an official statement on the matter.

“Gun violence in our society is a critical issue, and we extend our deepest sympathy to all victims and families impacted by these tragedies. Our company has a long history of donating to victims of violence, including Aurora, and in recent weeks, our parent company joined other business leaders to call on policymakers to enact bi-partisan legislation to address this epidemic,” a representative from Warner Bros. said in a statement on Tuesday. “At the same time, Warner Bros. believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations around complex issues. Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind. It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero.”

Director Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix have both regularly addressed these concerns over real-world violence, clearly frustrated that it has to be addressed in the discourse of the film.

Joker lands in theaters on October 4th.

What do you think of the controversy? Let us know in the comments below!