Joaquin Phoenix has agreed to play the Joker

Writer-director Todd Phillips’ Martin Scorsese-produced Joker movie is apparently still happening, and now it nearly has its star. According to Variety, I’m Still Here star Joaquin Phoenix has agreed to reprise his acting crazy routine to play the Batman villain in the film.

The project has been set up at Warner Bros. as a standalone effort completely separate from their relentlessly ongoing DC Extended Universe. (Jared Leto will continue his white body paint and temporary tattoo applications for that.) As described upon its reveal six months ago, the Phillips’ film is meant to show a seedy, ’80s Gotham City akin to the New York streets of Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. It’s also been said that this will be an origin story for the character, so given that Phoenix is visibly in his forties, apparently Joker will now be starting his crime career late. You’re never too old to reinvent yourself as a sociopathic clown, everyone!

Please help these sad nobodies and: