Barry Keoghan Shuts Down Rumors of a Joker Series

Fans hoping for more Barry Keoghan as the Joker in The Batman universe might need to hit pause on their excitement.

Keoghan, who made a cameo in The Batman and later appeared in an extended deleted scene, addressed swirling rumors about his potential return as Gotham’s Clown Prince of Crime during an interview with Josh Horowitz.

When Horowitz pressed him on a possible Joker spin-off or his involvement in The Batman III, Keoghan laid it all out: “Again, you know, it’s iconic and to the people performing it, you know, it’s just iconic performances and it’s a big one. But I am going to say that, you know, if the opportunity came about, yes I’d love to explore and, given that opportunity, really dive into it. But, I’ve not been contacted and I’ve not heard anything so I can’t, yeah.” Ouch! It looks like any immediate plans for a Joker-focused project are still off the table.

Keoghan went on to share how much he enjoyed stepping into the twisted role, praising writer/director Matt Reeves and co-star Robert Pattinson for their work on The Batman. The actor even hinted at having developed his own backstory for the Joker and spoke about the grueling makeup process he underwent to embody the character. Despite all this passion, Keoghan confirmed that no new calls have come in about reprising his role.

It’s a bit of a disappointment for fans hoping to see more of Keoghan’s take on the Joker, especially after the breakout success of The Penguin series. The timing makes sense, though, given that James Gunn revealed the script for The Batman: Part II isn’t even finished yet. With the sequel set to drop on October 2, 2026, it’s clear that Reeves and his team are still in the early stages of planning what comes next in their Batman-verse. And when it comes to a character as iconic as the Joker, they’re likely taking their time to get it just right.

For now, fans will have to be content rewatching The Batman and streaming The Penguin on Max, while hoping that future announcements might finally bring Keoghan’s Joker back into the mix.