The Batman's Barry Keoghan reveals how a failed Riddler audition led to his Joker role

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Barry Keoghan revealed that a failed, unsolicited audition for Riddler led to him being cast as the Joker in Matt Reeves' The Batman.

The actor told GQ that, upon hearing a new Batman film was in the works, he filmed and sent a two-minute audition clip over to the studio – simply because he wanted to. Keoghan's Riddler is a bit different than the modern, Internet-era cult-like figure played by Paul Dano. The Clockwork Orange-esque Riddler struts out of an elevator to "Danse Macabre," donning a bowler hat, eyeliner, suspenders, and a bloody handprint across his face.

By the time he met with producer Dylan Clark, Jonah Hill had already been cast as Riddler – though the role would eventually go to Dano. Keoghan insisted that Clark watch the audition, which has been up for three years on the actor's personal Vimeo page, and didn't hear anything for four months. One night, his agent called him with the news: "The Batman wants you to play the Joker – but you cannot tell anyone."

The resulting character is a scarred, bloodied psych ward patient with piercing blue eyes. "I wanted some sort of human in there behind the makeup,” he explained. "I want people to relate to him… [to know] this is a façade he puts on." The character, according to Keoghan, is "a broken-down boy."

The role, however, was reduced to the final four minutes of the film, as Reeves didn't want to overcrowd the already packed three-hour flick with two villains.

"It was just one of those things where, in the course of the movie, what that scene was doing, other scenes were also doing, and so we didn't need the scene. But as a standalone, that scene is very eerie and creepy and cool," Reeves previously revealed to Total Film.

After The Batman's successful release, a now viral, five-minute deleted scene hit the Internet depicting a visit from Robert Pattinson's frustrated Batman goes to Arkham Asylum to enlist the Joker's help – and teases the villain's potential escape.

Though Keoghan has not yet heard from Matt Reeves and co. about The Batman 2, he's eagerly waiting by the phone. “As soon as that call comes,” he says, “I’m there, man, I’m there.”

For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2022 and beyond.