Actor and standup comedian Marc Maron is in talks for a supporting pivotal role in Todd Phillips’ upcoming Joker origin movie.
With Netflix’s GLOW on a break between seasons, Maron has reportedly been approached for a role in the DC film to play a booking agent. The report also reveals what role Robert De Niro is in talks for: a 1980s late night talk show host. Maron’s character will be working for the talk show host and be instrumental for booking Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker before the future villain’s descent into madness.
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Maron is the latest actor to be in negotiations for a role in the origin story following earlier reports that Frances Conroy has been approached to play the Joker’s mother while Deadpool 2‘s Zasie Beetz is also up for a role in the film. The upcoming movie was greenlit at the beginning of the month and is expected to begin principal photography in New York City this September.
The details about both De Niro and Maron’s characters being tied to a late night talk show that plays a significant role in the Joker’s mental breakdown supports earlier theories that Phillips’ film will not only take inspiration from The Killing Joke but also the 1982 Martin Scorsese film The King of Comedy. With Scorsese attached to the project as an executive producer and the De Niro casting news, this theory appears even more likely.
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Directed and co-written by Todd Phillips, Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character. It is scheduled to be released on Oct. 4, 2019.
(via Variety)