After losing his Grindelwald role, the talks about Johnny Depp aiming to be the next Joker emerged again.
Earlier this month, the UK’s High Court ruled the libel case in favor of The Sun. This reportedly caused Warner Bros to ask Depp to leave the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
The 57-year-old actor, out of respect, agreed and officially left his post.
However, Depp allegedly wants to reestablish his career again — at least, through Joker.
According to We Got This Covered’s insider Daniel Richtman, Depp wants to play the role soon. Per Richtman, the actor believes he could bring home an Oscar through the franchise.
“Depp really wants Joker’s role. While talks with WB have stopped, [they] may resume if he wins the trial, and he thinks it could get him an Oscar,” he said.
Indeed, the actors who played the character — Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, and Joaquin Phoenix — became well-renowned.
However, it is worth noting that only Ledger and Phoenix won an Oscar, among others.
Unfortunately, the talks’ resumption may be impossible now, especially since Depp lost his case against The Sun.
Warner Bros once public expressed their desire to hire Depp as Joker.
Earlier this year, David James of We Got This Covered said that Depp was the top choice for the role in Robert Pattinson’s The Batman.
“Perhaps we might even see some combination of the villainy of Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts movies combined with the wild unpredictability of Jack Sparrow?” he said.
Fans even supported this idea by sharing their thoughts online.
One fan said, “I need Johnny Depp to be the Joker for the new Batman movie or the sequel cause I know he can pull it off, and he deserves the spotlight.”
“Johnny Depp has to be Joker in The Batman; we’re talking about one of the greatest method actors alive. He deserves to be able to shine with all the shit he’s been through,” another one wrote.
Meanwhile, Instagram user BossLogic even created fan art for Depp. He turned the actor into Joker by using one of his photos in Fantastic Beasts.
Johnny Depp will undergo another legal battle next year against Amber Heard.
Once he wins the case, Warner Bros might serve the topic on the table again.