Sean “Diddy” Combs is a menace. There’s no other way to describe what he just did to Warner Bros. Discovery.
During Halloween 2022, the music mogul dressed as Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight. It was a pitch perfect costume and portrayal of the famed DC Comics villain. Apparently, Warner Bros. Discovery—the studio that owns the comic book publisher and the film rights to the character—were not happy with Diddy’s exceptional cosplay. On Monday, while promoting his new album, The Love Album: Off the Grid, on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the Bad Boy boss revealed that after last year’s viral costume, he received a cease and desist letter from the studio.
“Last year I was the Joker, and I actually got a letter from the studio that I can no longer be the Joker because they said it broke their trademark that I did it too good, I swear,” he said. “I have this letter from Warner Brothers.”
Anyone who knows Diddy, knows he wasn’t about to take that laying down. All WBD did was throw gasoline on the fire. The “Bad Boy 4 Life” rapper issued a warning to the studio, saying, “Tomorrow, Warner Brothers lawyers…watch what I do.”
Since he couldn’t be The Joker, the prolific producer went in another direction. Early Wednesday morning, he took to social media to post his new project, “The Darkest Knight.” The two and a half minute short film features Diddy as Batman on a mission to end the strike. He does his best Christian Bale Batman voice in a studio ready Batsuit and is accompanied by a Batmobile. He actually gives a solid action hero performance, though he’s totally upstaged by his adorable co-star, who is seemingly his version of Alfred.
“I’m tired of mediocrity. Of shortcuts. Of the greed. Of empty suits telling us that we don’t deserve more,” Diddy says in his opening monologue.
Though it’s only two minutes, this is a high-quality, studio worthy short. And sorry Warner Bros., technically he wasn’t Joker this Halloween. I imagine Combs has already received requests to take this video down, and truthfully, it might cross a line, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun.
Honestly, the studio should’ve just let Diddy have his Halloween fun and laughed it off. Now they’re going to have another PR nightmare on their hands. Although, this is the best buzz they’ve had for a DC film in years.