Sometimes the simplest crossover ideas are the most clever. Even if they make no sense or seem just far too outlandish to ever even be considered seriously, it seems like everybody likes a good crossover even in fan art form. This particular instance features a chance encounter between villains and former assassins fromThe Dark KnightandJohn Wickjust trying to get by, and it rather hilariously answers a question many didn’t even need to see answered.
Coming from artistPaulo Pagnardi, this stylized piece depicts The Joker as he appears inThe Dark Knightoffering a bit of wordless sage advice to Keanu Reeves' dog-loving former hitman from theJohn Wickmovies. With nary a bit of speech between the two, the entire concept is plain as day to those familiar with both franchises. The Joker holds up a pencil as John looks on with an intrigued glint in his eye, offering some sort of twistedKingdom Hearts-esque retelling of how the retired gun-haver came upon one of his most infamous old stories.
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It’s an oddly adorable art style considering how it shows two merciless killers. Even if John Wick himself isn’t exactly thechaotic neutral villain that The Joker embodies, these are still two dangerous and experienced people whose entire identities seem to revolve around taking lives in increasingly brutal ways. Pagnardi’s work covers a lot of fictional characters, but most of the pieces seem to cover decidedly less trigger-happy individuals (though his drawing of Eivor fromAssassin’s Creed: Valhallamay still qualify).
Fans ofJohn Wickwill remember a certain unseen incident brought up by many of the series' villains that apparently saw John killing 3 men in a bar with nothing but a pencil. It became so infamous that Reeves' own training regimen for the movies began to incorporate a pencil. Hey, if John can do it, so should his actor. Meanwhile, an arguably more memorable scene came from Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knight, whenthe late Heath Ledger’s Jokerpulled off a “magic trick” by making a pencil disappear… into a guy’s head. Apparently, Pagnardi found inspiration in that rather deranged common ground between the two films, and it resulted in what is frankly a quite striking little piece.
Fanart like this tends to be pretty enjoyable. Like thehypothetical worlds of Marvel’sWhat If…?, it transports the viewer into an alternate reality where many of their favorite things come together and the stakes are generally lower.
Even in works like this that feature ruthless butchers, there’s something wholesome about seeing two stabby men just sort of hanging out. Great work by Pagnardi, and here’s hoping he enjoys what he does and keeps doing it. The world has plenty of artists, but every single one is an absolute treasure.
John Wick: Chapter 4is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 18, 2025.
