The DC Universe Just Added A New Character … Dr. Phil?

This past weekend, Warner Bros. debuted the first images of Joaquin Phoenix's take on the Clown Prince of Crime from one of the multitude of Joker movies currently in production. The result looks less like the classic DC villain and more like a tacky 1970s clown painting that's been left out in the rain.

Seemingly jealous of all the attention that movie was receiving, the screenwriters of one of the other Joker films dropped some buzzworthy info of their own. It turns out that their script features a surprise cameo -- and not Batman, or Poison Ivy, or even Sherlock Holmes. No, apparently this story begins with Joker and Harley Quinn kidnapping ... Dr. Phil.

According to writer Glenn Ficarra, the movie opens with Joker and Harley abducting the famed TV psychologist, who will "hopefully" be played by Phil McGraw himself. Yup, the DCEU is about to join the illustrious ranks of Frasier, Hannah Montana, and Madea Goes To Jail in offering an acting role to Dr. Phil. The closest analogue, though, might be Scary Movie 4, which similarly opens with an imprisoned Dr. Phil, locked in a Saw-like filthy bathroom -- though presumably the Joker movie won't also throw Shaq into the equation.

Disappointingly, the villainous duo aren't kidnapping Phil purely out of malice, or to get some ransom money out of Oprah, but rather to solicit free relationship advice. Presumably the "Men are from Mars" guy has already been murdered by Two-Face. Though come to think of it, if the stories about how Dr. Phil treats his staff are true, his counselling may just be gasoline on the fire that is the Joker's madness.

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