The Batman Was Right To Cut Its Joker Scene
The Joker's recently released deleted scene from The Batman offers the best glimpse yet of Barry Keoghan's Clown prince of Crime, but the film made the proper decision to eliminate the scene. The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves, is a dark and gritty retelling of the legendary hero's storey, featuring new versions of Batman, Catwoman, The Riddler, james Gordon, and The Penguin. As Batman's arch-nemesis and most famous foe, Joker's appearance in the final film was predictable, and while his five-minute deleted segment was entertaining, it added little to the film other than a distraction.
There are various opponents in The Batman, ranging from corrupt cops to the mafia, but the film's major nemesis is Paul Dano's horrifying new version of The Riddler, who draws inspiration from real-life serial killers as well as the books. The Riddler nearly successfully executes his homicidal master plan on Gotham City, but he fails to recognise Batman as his adversary, instead seeing him as a kindred spirit and potential ally in his spiteful crimes. At the end of the film, The Riddler is disappointed by Batman's animosity, but he soon makes a new friend in Arkham State Hospital: The joker, paving the way for a sequel to The Batman.
The five-minute deleted clip has Batman visiting Arkham to speak with joker about his elusive new foe before Riddler surrenders to the GCPD. The scenario also exposes Joker's hideous visage and provides insight into The Riddler's objectives and prospective thoughts of Batman. Unfortunately, the five-minute scene added little to the picture other than introducing a legendary Batman figure who would distract viewers from an essentially Riddler-focused film, therefore The Batman was correct to delete it.