Following the release of the full deleted scene, this The Batman Joker image edit reveals Barry Keoghan's full face as Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime.

A The Batman Joker image edit reveals a look at the DC villain's full face. The film from director Matt Reeves introduced Robert Pattinson as the titular superhero when it released in theaters on March 4. Met with both critical acclaim and ongoing success at the box office, The Batman is expected to establish another universe of movies and TV series for Warner Bros. that exists apart from the DCEU continuity.

As such, Reeves' film was free to reinterpret characters that had been adapted for the big screen just recently, including casting Barry Keoghan as the Joker in place of Suicide Squad and Zack Snyder's Justice League's Jared Leto. With The Batman's primary antagonist being Paul Dano's Riddler, the Clown Prince of Crime only appeared in a brief cameo scene within Arkham Asylum, which kept the character mostly obscured. However, a newly released The Batman Joker deleted scene revealed a much better look at Keoghan's villain as he exchanged dialogue with Batman through the reinforced glass of an Arkham visiting booth.

While the deleted scene only showed portions of his face at a time, this The Batman Joker image edit from Twitter user @AaronBaileyArt reveals Keoghan's full look as the legendary character. While a viewer's gaze will continue to be drawn to his mangled lips and teeth, which display the significant scarring in this Joker design, the actor's eyes take on new significance in this composite image. Even as his mouth is contorted in a sinister grin, the villain's sunken eyes are steady and cold, a striking counter to Pattinson's intense, active stare throughout The Batman. Check out the original post below:

Click here to see the original post

Fan reactions to The Batman's Joker deleted scene, which viewers initially accessed through the Riddler's marketing website by answering new riddles, have been strong so far. While the vast majority are appreciative of Keoghan's take on Batman's archenemy as well as the character's jarring design, many are split on whether the scene should have been deleted in the first place. Reeves excised the Silence of the Lambs-esque exchange because it didn't serve the narrative momentum, and though some agree with his assessment after watching it, others have argued it would have only furthered the larger worldbuilding of The Batman's Gotham.

The decision to release the scene in full with the film still in theaters, rather than as part of a home video package, suggests that The Batman franchise has plans for the character. Reeves has said the cameo included in the theatrical cut wasn't a confirmation of Keoghan's Joker as The Batman 2 villain, but there's no reason he couldn't act as Batman's Hannibal Lector in the sequel; the second HBO Max spinoff show that pivoted from the GCPD to Arkham could also be a way to develop him further. Regardless, the fan response to this The Batman Joker deleted scene is sure to put pressure on the studio to bring Keoghan back in some capacity.

Next: Joker's Backstory In The Batman: Origin, Scars, Injuries & Pattinson Past

Source: Twitter