Barry Keoghan has been making waves with his recent role: a thriller that scored 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, and one that perfectly encapsulates what his Joker could be like in DC’s The Batman franchise. Before he was cast in leading roles, Barry Keoghan started earning recognition for his supporting roles in Dunkirk and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Coincidentally, his co-star in the latter – Colin Farrel – would reportedly suggest that Keoghan was talented enough to play the Joker in the future, a prediction that would coincidentally come to fruition in another movie that would star them both.

2022’s The Batman is the latest live-action iteration of the Caped Crusader, though it is unrelated to either the DCU or DCEU. Instead, this standalone planned trilogy is poised to deliver a new take on a live-action Batman story before the DCU reimagines the iconic DC character once more. It is part of this franchise that Barry Keoghan is set to play another rendition of the Joker, with his unique spin on the role being teased at the end of The Batman. While this Joker is still shrouded in mystery, Saltburn offers a clue as to how he’ll be portrayed.

Saltburn Teases What Barry Keoghan’s Joker Could Look Like

Saltburn was released on November 17, 2023, and started gaining notoriety after releasing on Prime Video, where viral videos featuring scenes from the movie began to propagate on social media. Keoghan stars in the movie as Oliver Quick, a seemingly unassuming Oxford Student whose friendship with a wealthy peer, Felix Catton, devolves into a deeply disturbing series of events masterminded by Quick, motivated by vengeance and power. Ultimately, Quick is revealed to be a deeply disturbed master manipulator whose unhinged acts of depravity seemingly know no bounds.

These character traits are pretty synonymous with certain iterations of the Joker and, therefore, offer a convincing clue as to how Keoghan’s rendition of the character might look. Oliver’s manipulation of Felix and his family, gaining allies to enact his dastardly plan, is already mirrored by the Joker depicted in The Batman, who was last seen developing a bond with Paul Dano’s Riddler. Assuming Keoghan’s Joker will be somewhat comic-accurate, it’s safe to assume that Riddler will simply be a pawn in Joker’s manipulative game much like Felix was in Oliver’s.

Why Barry Keoghan’s Joker Is So Promising

Colin Farrell’s prediction for Keoghan is evidently well-founded but didn’t come from nowhere. Barry Keoghan has proven his ability to wholeheartedly embody roles and has since earned multiple award nods and wins for his ability. This seems to be increasingly necessary for Joker, whose dark brand of chaotic evil has long since surpassed the somewhat hammy depiction embodied by Jack Nicholson.

There are plenty of similarities between Keoghan’s rendition of Joker and Heath Ledger’s, with the latter believed by many to have embodied the best version of the Joker in live-action. Yet from the very little that has been seen thus far of Keoghan’s rendition, his seems to be embodying a far darker and more visceral version of the character, with his heavily scarred face far surpassing that of Ledger’s. Furthermore, rumors suggest that Keoghan’s Joker will be biding his time before taking the spotlight in The Batman Part III, where his plans will presumably come to fruition in spectacular fashion.