Not only will the film take place separate from the DCEU continuity, but it will also set its story in the 1980s with an old-school gangster atmosphere, which helps explain why De Niro and Scorsese could be so integral to the project.
The prospect of Robert De Niro signing on for the Joker spinoff movie represents only the latest in a long line of developments that have signified just how different this is going to be compared to other DC movies that we have seen in recent years.
Moreover, the film will have a relatively low budget of around $55 million, making it more of a drama than the typical superhero slugfest seen in movies like Avengers: Infinity War or Justice League.