Joker Origin Movie: 10 Reasons Fans Should Be Worried

With The Hangover trilogy, Due Date and Old School proudly listed on his CV, Todd Phillips is exactly the kind of guy you want heading up a comedy, but nothing from his back catalogue suggests dark, complicated characters like The Joker are his forte.

Phillips is providing the movie's screenplay and has also been linked with the director's chair, but his lack of experience outside of comedy is cause for concern.

Although black humour should certainly flow freely in Joker's solo outing, a director with a strong track record in comic book adaptations would have brought balance to the creative team.

Martin Scorsese’s roots in crime dramas would prove useful, though the extent of his potential creative input is unknown, which is why it was important to enlist the services of somebody more seasoned in the subject matter.

With Phillips writing and potentially directing, there's a danger The Joker movie could lay on the comedy too thick and shift the focus from the character's demented villainy and sheer darkness.