While The King of Comedy is a widely reported inspiration for the Joker origin movie, new clues from the set hint that another Martin Scorsese/Robert De Niro classic — Taxi Driver — could also be an influence.
The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver are both profiles of deranged and broken men, delusional urban loners who criminally lash out at those they feel have rejected them, and the Joker movie — penned by director Todd Phillips (the Hangover trilogy) and co-screenwriter Scott Silver (8 Mile, The Fighter) — certainly sounds like it’s in a similar vein. The official plot synopsis for Joker describes Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck as “a man disregarded by society” and the DC film as “not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”