It’s yet to officially hit cinemas, but Joker is already the highest-rated film featuring a comic book character.

While Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime won’t arrive until October, it has racked up a massive 9.6 rating out of a possible 10 on IMDb.

In comparison, the epic Avengers: Endgame sits at 8.6, while Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which starred the late Heath Ledger as The Joker, has nine.

Although the rating is likely to change upon release, it’s already a sign that The Joker could be a sure-fire contender when awards season swings around once more.

It received an eight minute standing ovation upon premiering at the Venice Film Festival last weekend, in the presence of director Todd Phillips, Phoenix and co-star Zazie Beetz.

In a five-star review for NME, Greg Wetherall called Joker an “instant classic that sees Joaquin Phoenix translate a discombobulating sensation from the screen to your senses, while director Todd Phillips creates a melancholic psychodrama punctuated by splashes of shocking violence.” 

Meanwhile, a sequel to the Joker movie could be on the cards, according to director Todd Phillips.

The director has already set his sights on a second installment – owing to the quality of Phoenix’s performance as the comic book villain. 

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