Following the success of Heath Ledger’s scarred Joker in The Darkish Knight, we’ve seen the likes of Earth-3’s ‘Jokester’ and Gotham’s Jerome Valeska (Cameron Monaghan) sport a carved smile. It seems like Folie à Deux is the most recent to offer a nod to Ledger’s iconic tackle the character. The reference even performs into the paradox of the Joker’s origin. Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film shied away from giving us a concrete Joker origin story, as a substitute teasing audiences with the ever-changing “Wanna understand how I received these scars?” story—which was a reference itself to the Clown’s “a number of selection” line in Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s The Killing Joke. It’s a side of the character that actually makes him so intriguingly unknowable. With the primary Joker, Phillips presents us with one potential origin story, whereas within the closing minutes of the sequel, right here is one other chance.
After all, the web has rapidly give you its personal (misguided) theories, suggesting that, as a result of Storrie’s likeness within the movie resembles a younger Heath Ledger, Joker: Folie a Deux is straight related to Nolan’s seminal Bat-film. However at this level, it seems like fandom resides in its personal folie à deux (shared delusion).
The Darkish Knight is considered one of many best comedian e book motion pictures of all time, whereas the tragic passing of Heath Ledger in 2008 meant any plans to incorporate him in Nolan’s third film have been retired out of respect. It’s true that we by no means realized his true id or the origin story of how he really received these scars, however except for the timelines of Joker and The Darkish Knight not marrying up, Phillips tampering with the Darkish Knight Trilogy looks like one thing Warner Bros., the followers, and Nolan would by no means conform to. In any case, not the whole lot needs to be a shared universe, and as James Gunn is available in to move up the brand new DCU, the 2 Joker motion pictures sit alongside Reeves’ (unrelated) The Batman as a part of their very own Elseworlds continuity, having nothing to do with something that’s come earlier than or sooner or later DCU movies.
In interviews, Phillips himself stopped wanting confirming that one other Joker would take over from Fleck after he denounces the alter ego on stay tv within the sequel. As a substitute, he picks up on these previous Joker theories and suggests to Leisure Weekly that Arthur was by no means the Joker: “In some methods, he’s accepted the truth that he’s all the time been Arthur Fleck; he’s by no means been this factor that’s been put upon him, this concept that Gotham individuals placed on him, that he represents. He’s an unwitting icon. This factor was positioned on him, and he doesn’t need to stay as a pretend anymore—he desires to be who he’s.” Like how we by no means get a continuation of Bruce’s story after Thomas and Martha Wayne are gunned down by a Joker fanatic on the finish of the primary film, we’re not purported to get a solution as to if these characters grow to be the “actual” Joker. Nonetheless, this ambiguity is far more palatable than screwing with The Darkish Knight only for the sake of it.
DC Comics has leaned into the thought of a number of Jokers earlier than, together with its Batman: Three Jokers restricted collection from 2020, and regardless that Fleck clearly impressed chaos in Nineteen Eighties Gotham Metropolis whereas possibly setting the scene for the “true” Joker, there’s nothing that connects Storrie’s unnamed affected person to Ledger’s Clown Prince of Crime. Very similar to how Joker-centric comics, together with The Killing Joke and The Darkish Knight Returns, influenced Phillips, Folie à Deux’s ending seems like not more than an homage to The Darkish Knight. Folie à Deux’s polarizing finale, coupled with the truth that Phillips has repeatedly stated there received’t be a Joker 3, means Fleck’s loss of life and this scarred inmate really feel like a usually Joker joke that we’ll by no means get the punchline to. Properly, possibly that’s the purpose.
