Lakeith Stanfield dressed up as the Clown Prince of Crime for DC's Joker movie premiere. Despite being separate from the DC Extended Universe (not the official name), Joker has managed to generate a whole lot of buzz ahead of its release next week. Of late, though, the Joker-related headlines have tended to be more about the controversy surrounding the film than the actual movie. Warner Bros. has already responded to the backlash against Joker's violence in a statement, assuring that the film is not "an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind".
All the same, the U.S. military has warned soldiers about the potential for violence at Joker screenings, and the Aurora theater where The Dark Knight Rises screening shooting took place in 2012 has declined to show the film at all. Meanwhile, Joker director Todd Phillips has weighed in on these issues by comparing the movie to ultra-violent fare like John Wick - a comparison that's led to additional backlash, more than anything else. Thankfully, the mood was far more light-hearted at last night's Joker premiere.
A few people at the Joker premiere even dressed up in partial costume, with Jason Momoa donning a purple suit that looks like something out of the Clown Prince of Crime's own wardrobe. Stanfield, however, took things a step further and wore Joker makeup, along with a green cap in lieu of green-dyed hair. You can check out a photo of his outfit below (courtesy of Screen Rant contributor Kayleigh Donaldson).
Stanfield actually tweeted about wanting to star in Joker two years ago, back when Martin Scorsese was a producer on the film. It didn't happen, obviously, but Stanfield's getup at the Joker premiere just goes to show that he really is a fan of the character. The acclaimed artist has already starred in one comic book adaptation (Netflix's live-action Death Note movie), but has yet to appear in either a Marvel or a DC Comics project. That could easily change down the line, though, especially as the Atlanta and Sorry to Bother You actor continues to become a bigger and bigger name with each passing year. He may not ever get to play the Joker, but there are no doubt other comic book characters that Stanfield would be interested in bringing to life (assuming his love for Batman's arch-nemesis in any indicator).
As it were, some of the people who see Joker in theaters won't be allowed to dress up like Stanfield did at the movie's premiere. Landmark Theaters has actually banned its customers and staff members from wearing Joker-related costumes and makeup or carrying props, in an effort to prevent any real-world violence from happening. The controversy around the film has made theater owners understandably nervous, which explains why some of these are going the extra mile to ensure everyone's safety when the movie finally opens next week. Hopefully, as a result, nothing terrible will actually take place when the film starts playing, and the discussion can get back to Joker's qualities (or lack thereof) instead.
Source: Twitter
