“You wanna know how I got these scars?” It’s a question Heath Ledger’s Joker asks his victims in the 2008 film The Dark Knight, but the query is never definitively answered. Outside the film scope and in the comics, the psychotic Batman villain has always had an air of mystery about him, as the character’s true beginnings have nearly always remained hidden behind his disturbing clown persona. Now it seems DC wants to finally resolve that story on the big screen in a Joker origin movie, with The Hangover‘s Todd Phillips set to write and direct the feature.

According to Deadline, a Joker origin movie is in early development stages by Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment, with Phillips signed on to head the picture as well as co-write the screenplay with 8 Mile scribe Scott Silver. Filmmaker Martin Scorsese is also said to be attached as a producer for the project alongside Phillips.

The newest actor to sport the green hair, Jared Leto, is reportedly not reprising his Suicide Squad role as the Joker. Instead, the production is looking for someone else to play the part, as the new origin will not involve any version of the character already seen on film before. This will supposedly mark the beginning of a new line of live-action DC films that aim to tell alternative, one-off stories involving characters from all over the DC canon. The non-canon imprint will likely have no connections to the main DC Extended Universe.

The now-untitled Joker film is reportedly looking to take place in an early 80’s time period and will capture a look at Gotham City’s gritty criminal underground. Scorsese’s involvement with a hard-boiled Joker origin movie could be very beneficial to achieving the intended final product, as the filmmaker has produced numerous influential entries in the crime genre. Any other details are being kept under wraps at the moment, but stay tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers or follow us on Twitter for any updates on the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day!