And now we know. Looks like rather than trying to make Batman smile or fight him in the streets of Gotham, Arthur would end up being amazed by the beloved DC hero. This might be surprising for hardcore fans of the comics, but the character is a new creation that isn't operating by the same rules as Mr. J.

Bruce Wayne has not taken on the mantle of Batman in Gotham City in the Joker franchise, but director and co-writer Todd Phillips recently talked about what Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck would think about the Dark Knight if he was running around taking down criminals in Gotham.

"I think Arthur always had a fascination with men at ease, and he is not a man at ease. Murray Franklin in the first movie was a man at ease," Phillips continued. "He probably saw the guys he worked with as men at ease, and that was the one thing that Arthur could never be was a man at ease."

Joaquin Phoenix's Joker is an adult while Batman is still just a child in Todd Phillips' films, but if the two were to ever meet, here's how it might play out.

Todd Phillips thinks that Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker would be a fan of Batman. Joker: Folie á Deux releases in United States theaters this coming October. The upcoming sequel is directed by Phillips and will see Phoenix reprise his role as the titular Joker.

Joker: Folie Deux helmer Todd Phillips shares what led to him making the upcoming DC sequel with lead star Joaquin Phoenix.