Jared Leto as Joker
Jared Leto as the Joker in "Suicide Squad"Screenshot/ Twitter

Joaquin Phoenix is the latest actor to play Batman's archenemy in Warner Bros. next DC movie. The Golden Globe Award-winning actor will play Joker in Todd Phillips' Joker's origin story.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Phoenix's version of the Joker will differ from Jared Leto's take on the Batman's most celebrated enemy. The upcoming Joker origin movie's working title is Romeo. The film is described as an "exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale."

The Joker origin film will mark the beginning of Warner Bros. future projects that will introduce standalone films featuring different actors, depicting the iconic characters. The decision to cast a different actor to play the role shows that the possibility of any connection between Jared Leto's Joker with Joaquin Phoenix's Joker is pretty slim.

After Heath Ledger's sudden death in 2008, many wondered who will play the Clown Prince of Crime in future Batman movies. Warner Bros. decision to cast Jared Leto to play Joker met with mixed response from all the fans. After the release of Suicide Squad, many appreciated the jaw-dropping performance Leto gave in such less screen time. Similar to this, fans of Batman took to Twitter to share their excitement about the same.

Meanwhile, Jared Leto is all set to reprise his role as the Joker in another Joker film. The plot details of the upcoming Joker film are not yet revealed, but it would be interesting to see how the Academy Award-winning actor will reprise his role. It is still under wraps if Ben Affleck will reprise his role of Batman in Leto's Joker movie.

Directed by Phillips, the Phoenix's Joker origin movie is made under the budget of $55 million. The stand-alone film will explore a more cynical side of the character. As of now, there is no release date but many are speculating that it could arrive as early as 2019.