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Over the years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has elevated countless stars with its epic storytelling. However, from 2011’s Thor on out, Tom Hiddleston proved to be a fan favorite. Loki, the god of mischief, remains one of the best MCU villains ever. So, of course, some fans hope Hiddleston brings his charisma to an iconic DC villain in the upcoming The Batman trilogy.

Tom Hiddleston poses with the "Tesseract Blue Infinity Stone"
Tom Hiddleston poses with the “Tesseract Blue Infinity Stone” | Bruce Glikas/WireImage

‘The Batman’ sequels will reportedly include the Joker as a key character

Following Ben Affleck’s exit from the project, writer/director Matt Reeves reworked The Batman to focus on a younger Dark Knight. Robert Pattinson landed the role opposite Andy Serkis’ Alfred Pennyworth. And the movie — which exists in a separate universe to the Oscar-winning Joker — will launch a whole new series of big-screen Batman adventures.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Warner Bros. pushed The Batman’s release from June 2021 to October. And this extra time has given fans plenty of time to speculate on where the proposed trilogy will go. The first film will introduce new versions of Catwoman, Penguin, and the Riddler. But the Joker is reportedly in line to appear in the sequels.

Holding off on the Joker makes a ton of sense, with how prevalent he has been in other Batman projects lately. After all, The Dark Knight trilogy similarly waited until the second film to bring him in. For now, it’s probably better The Batman establishes its own distinctive take on Gotham City.

One artist imagines Tom Hiddleston moving from the MCU to the DCEU

With the production delay on The Batman, fans still have no clue what to expect from the movie. We’ve gotten a brief glimpse of Pattinson in his Batsuit. We’ve already seen some speculative art for the designs of Colin Farrell’s Penguin and Paul Dano’s Riddler remain a mystery.

Now artist Bryan Fiallos has taken to Instagram to share what he imagines Joker could look like. Fiallos casts Hiddleston in the role, and he gives the actor a very classical design. With his pinstriped purple suit and twisted grin, Hiddleston’s Joker — according to this design — feels ripped straight from the comics. And fans appreciate the reverence to the source material.

“This could be a beautiful marriage of actor and role,” one comment said. “I could definitely get behind this. … It’s probably the best classic Joker look I’ve seen so far,” said another. Still another user weighed in: “Love this, and he is definitely the best actor for the job. He would absolutely kill it.”

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‘Joker’: Why Joaquin Phoenix Should Play Both Joker and Batman in the Sequel

Or will Warner Bros. go for a more inspired casting choice?

Despite their confidence in Hiddleston’s ability to tackle the role, some fans have their doubts. The actor may be too closely tied to the MCU, they said, to be able to shift to the competition. Plus, there’s another concern with Hiddleston going from Loki to Joker.

The two characters possess a similarly chaotic energy. So, while it’s natural for fans of Hiddleston’s Loki to see him as a solid Joker, the performance might not be distinctive enough. Recent versions of the character — including Jared Leto and Joaquin Phoenix — have taken big chances.

Casting Hiddleston as Joker would undoubtedly feel like a safe choice on DC’s part. Meanwhile, fans continue to advocate for Lakeith Stanfield as Joker. And the Get Out actor has been very vocal about wanting to play the Joker. Certainly, Pattinson’s Batman will get his Joker at some point. But what shape will the Clown Prince of Crime take when he does appear?

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