Potential spoilers for The Batman follow. You have been warned…
Having portrayed Druig is Marvel’s cosmic superhero adventure Eternals last year, Irish actor Barry Keoghan is back with another comic book-related role this March as he makes the switch to the DC Universe with a part in Warner Bros. and DC Films’ hotly-anticipated reboot The Batman.
When his casting was first announced, reports suggested that Keoghan would be playing Stanley Merkel, an officer at the Gotham City Police Department who, in the comics, was the original partner of Jim Gordon and part of the task force hunting Batman during his early crimefighting exploits.
However, since then there’s been growing talk that Keoghan is actually set for a much more recognisable role, with the Dunkirk and The Green Knight actor said to be making a cameo as the Clown Prince of Crime himself, The Joker. Keoghan’s own brother certainly seemed convinced when he allegedly claimed as much in a quickly-deleted social media post, and now the official credit sheet for The Batman has leaked online and adds further weight to the reports with Keoghan’s character listed as “Unseen Arkham Prisoner”.
SEE ALSO: Watch the new trailer for The Batman from the NBA All Star Game
Now, as we all know, Arkham is a busy place with a high turnover of inmates, so this isn’t 100% confirmation on the rumours that Keoghan will be playing The Joker. However, with director Matt Reeves talking recently about using the film to set the stage for an entire ‘Batverse’, it would certainly make sense to lay the groundwork for the most iconic Rogue in Batman’s Gallery. Fortunately, we don’t have long to wait, with The Batman set to open in cinemas next week…
Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies—Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright)—amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
The Batman sees Robert Pattinson (The Lighthouse) donning the cape and cowl as Bruce Wayne/Batman alongside Zoe Kravitz (Big Little Lies) as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Colin Farrell (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Paul Dano (Escape at Dannemora) as Edward Nashton/The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) as Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis (War for the Planet of the Apes) as Alfred Pennyworth, John Turturro (The Big Lebowski) as Carmine Falcone, Alex Ferns (Chernobyl) as Commissioner Pete Savage, Con O’Neill (Ordinary Lies) as Chief Mackenzie Bock, Peter Sarsgaard (The Killing) as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson. Jayme Lawson (Farewell Amor) as Bella Real, and Barry Keoghan (Eternals) as Unseen Arkham Prisoner.
The Batman is set for release on March 4th, 2022.