What If Joaquin Phoenix Isn't Really Playing The Joker?

The upcoming Joker movie from Todd Phillips is an odd kind of comic book movie, and not just because it's a character-driven piece being made off a $55 million budget, a stark contrast to the blockbusters usually populating this genre. Joker is, as one would guess, telling the origin story of Gotham City's Clown Prince of Crime. Unlike in the comics, though, Batman will have no role to play in the cackling criminal's creation, as Bruce Wayne is still a youngster during this period. Which leads me to wonder, what if Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck isn't the real Joker? He is a Joker, to be sure, but what if his purpose is to ultimately inspire the man who will one day become The Joker.
In case you haven't been keeping up-to-date on what's happening with Joker, the movie is unconnected to the DC Extended Universe, hence why we're not seeing Jared Leto with green hair, chalk white skin and red lips. Instead, it's a standalone movie set in the early 1980s, following Arthur Fleck, a failed standup comedian who turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City. For a while, Joker himself was the only confirmed character from the comics (duh), but then Thomas Waynewas cast, and last month, Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth followed. No doubt we'll learn who's playing Martha Wayne soon enough.
It's the Bruce Wayne part of this that's particularly interesting. His parents are still alive, meaning he's somewhere between 8-12 years old. Joaquin Phoenix, on the other hand, turned 44 a few weeks ago, so let's assume that Arthur Fleck is the same age as well. That means Arthur has over 30 years on Bruce, so by the time Bruce ages to adulthood and dons the cape and cowl in two decades, Phoenix's version of The Joker will be in his mid-60s or pushing 70.
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