The actor behind The Batman's newly-introduced Joker, Barry Keoghan, was arrested in Dublin last weekend for a public order incident. Since rising to popularity in 2017's The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Keoghan has appeared in several notable releases, including The Green Knight and last year's Eternals. Although the reception to Eternals was mixed from both audiences and critics, the actor isn't done with superhero fare just yet, recently popping up for a brief scene in The Batman.
Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman introduces a brand new take on Gotham City and the Caped Crusader, this time played by Robert Pattinson. While the main villain for Pattinson's Batman is the Riddler (Paul Dano), Keoghan does make an appearance in the film as "Unseen Arkham Prisoner," a disfigured, giggling prisoner who makes friends with Riddler after the two become cell neighbors. Many quickly theorized that the character was Reeves' take on the Joker, a theory that was confirmed shortly after the release of the film, when a deleted scene between Keoghan and Pattinson's characters was posted online, giving audiences a closer look at this new version of the Joker.
A new report from the Irish newspaper Independent.ie reveals that Keoghan was recently arrested in his hometown of Dublin after police responded to what has been described as a "public order incident." The police are said to have responded to a complaint from North Dublin residents who reported a man on an apartment balcony in an intoxicated state shortly before 7 am on Sunday, April 10th. Keoghan was reportedly non-confrontational throughout the incident and was released shortly after his arrest.
Keoghan's representatives have yet to issue a comment on the incident but it would seem that the incident was only minor, with one source saying in a statement, "The matter is finalised and nothing more will come of it.” Although it's unclear what exactly The Batman's new Joker actor was doing on the balcony, the report states that one of Keoghan's relatives lives at a property adjacent to the apartment at which the incident took place. Keoghan's arrest comes after another notable legal issue involving a DC actor, with The Flash star Ezra Miller having been arrested in Hawaii for disorderly conduct and harassment.
Due to the relatively minor nature of the incident, it seems unlikely that Keoghan's career or his relationship with either Marvel or DC will be affected. While Miller's pattern of troubling behavior reportedly caused DC executives to call an emergency meeting regarding the actor's future as the Flash, no such meeting has yet been called regarding Keoghan. A sequel to The Batman has yet to be officially greenlit, but many already consider it a sure thing due to the success of the first film. It's not clear if Keoghan will reprise his role as the Joker for any subsequent movies, but The Batman (and the recently released deleted scene) suggest that Keoghan's Clown Prince of Crime could play an important role in the franchise moving forward.
Source: Independent.ie
