Are we going to get a Joaquin Phoenix Joker movie before (or instead of) a Jared Leto one?

On the Superhero News Show, co-host Mark Hughes (who also writes about superhero movies for Forbes) said he thinks that the Leto solo Joker film is "not likely" because "we can't use preexisting Jokers." (Sorry, sir. You're a preexisting Joker. You're not covered under the current terms of the DCEU.")

So, Phoenix's Joker may or may not be in a standalone film. And he may be part of the upcoming Ben Affleck-less Batman. Or not.

Also, Martin Scorsese's Joker movie might precede a new Batman film. Which would then make Phoenix, you guessed it, a "preexisting Joker" if he appears in any other DCEU movie.

Here's Hughes's far-from-firm take:

"I think Joaquin Phoenix is playing the Joker in a standalone film, that will possibly wind up not being standalone, as the situation evolved with the solo Batman movies and the future of the DCEU shapes up. I haven't heard anything firm, but I've heard certainly whispers from several people that I've talked to about that project... so now it looks like there's going to be that project and I have heard from a few people that there is talk of if [the Joker] movie is really going to go forward and if it's really that good, if we're rebooting Batman anyway, he's going to need a Joker. We can't use preexisting Jokers. So, we either have Jared Leto showing up as the Joker in some sort of sequel movie, and a Joaquin Phoenix solo Joker movie, and then we have to have another Joker. Wouldn't it make more sense to take a Martin Scorsese-produced Joker with Joaquin Phoenix and wait and see if it works out, then just cross that and have that be the Joker for the new Batman?"

You got that?

[Via The Playlist]