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  • Filmmaker Martin Scorsese originally considered directing "Joker," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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  • The report comes after Scorsese made headlines last week for saying Marvel movies were "not cinema" and comparing them to theme parks.
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  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese made headlines last week for saying that Marvel movies were "not cinema" and comparing them to theme parks.

But the legendary director of "Goodfellas," and the upcoming Netflix movie "The Irishman," could have made a comic-book movie for Marvel's rival.

Scorsese originally considered Warner Bros. and DC's "Joker" as a "potential directing vehicle" before "The Hangover" director Todd Phillips came on board, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which cited a source close to Scorsese.

READ MORE: Martin Scorsese said Marvel movies are 'not cinema' and compared them to theme parks

Representatives for Scorsese did not immediately return Business Insider's request for comment, but told THR that he "had no intention to direct 'Joker'" and only "considered producing."

Scorsese was originally attached as a producer before he "quietly left" the project, according to THR. Scorsese potentially directing "Joker" is surprising given his comments about Marvel superhero movies in Empire Magazine last week.

"I don't see them," Scorsese told Empire Magazine last week regarding Marvel movies. "I tried, you know? But that's not cinema. Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn't the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being."

But "Joker" isn't a typical comic-book movie. The R-rated origin story for Batman's famous foe has drawn criticism for its graphic depictions of violence, which gained national attention after some family members of the 2012 Aurora, Colorado mass-shooting victims sent a letter to Warner Bros. with concerns.

Still, the movie earned $96 million domestically over the weekend, a record debut for October, and has made $258 million worldwide off of a $55 million budget.

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