Despite not featuring Batman, DC villain, and while there have been many different origins for the character in the comics, his background had never really been explored in any of the movies.
Joker follows Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a struggling stand-up comedian who is driven to murder after being bullied. The film is full of mystery and leads audiences to question what's real and what's not, including whether Arthur is Thomas Wayne's son, potentially making him Bruce Wayne's half-brother. The sequel continued Arthur's story and by Joker: Folie à Deux, that story reaches its conclusion.
Joker deviated from the source material a lot, and it worked for the most part, as the movie managed to gross over $1 billion worldwide despite having a relatively small budget of $60 million. However, one interesting choice made that doesn't follow the lore whatsoever is the antagonist's name in the film. Arthur Fleck is a completely original name when it comes to the Joker, as it has never once been his given name, an alias, or anything else. In a movie full of plot twists, the seemingly random name of Arthur Fleck is one of the biggest head-scratchers, but there's an explanation behind it.
Who Is Arthur Fleck? Everything We Know About Joaquin Phoenix's Joker Character
In Joker, Arthur Fleck worked as a clown, but had dreams of being a comedian. He lives with his mother, who told him that he was on earth to make people happy, which Joker: Folie à Deux reveals was a lie that she told him. Arthur's life spins out of control during the course of Joker, and he murders three Wayne Enterprise workers, a co-worker, his mother, and Murray Franklin on live television. Right before appearing on The Murray Franklin Show, Fleck adopts the Joker moniker and his actions lead to being seen as a hero to many in Gotham.
What Joker 2’s Post-Credit Scene Could Have Been (If It Had One)
Joker: Folie à Deux does not have a post-credits scene, but a few things could have been teased after the movie if it did.
Joker: Folie à Deux sees Arthur Fleck in Arkham Asylum, waiting trial for his crimes. The Joker: Folie à Deux includes many who look up to the Joker, including Lee Quinn, who he falls in love with. During the course of the trial, Arthur's feelings about Joker change, and he confesses to his crimes, essentially confirming he was never Joker, and it was just a persona he made up.
What Is Joker's Real Name In The Comics?
One of the most intriguing aspects of Joker as a character is that his backstory is never really touched upon. Of course, there are moments in the comics that explain a few things, but mostly his entire backstory is up in the air. Because of that, the Joker's name is never usually mentioned or even touched upon. It's a mystery as much as he is. In other media, he has been named a few times, including in the 1989 Batman film where his actual name was Jack Napier.
Arthur Fleck Isn’t Even His Real Name
Following the altercation with Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen) when Arthur confronts him about possibly being his father, it's revealed that not only is the billionaire not his dad, but Penny Fleck (s Conroy) isn't even his biological mother, either. Arthur finds adoption papers showing that Penny adopted him as a baby and named him Arthur.
Joker: Folie à Deux confirms that Arthur Fleck was adopted during the trial, as some events of the first film could have just been in his head.
This means that he may have had a different name before he was adopted. However, none of the information given to the audience is 100 percent true, as Arthur is an unreliable narrator, and given that Thomas Wayne has motives of his own, he could just as easily be lying and have forged adoption papers.
A Theory Suggests It’s A Reference To Ben Affleck
While Joker is packed with DC Easter eggs, the main character's name could be one, too. Arthur Fleck is an oddly specific surname, and while it could be pulled out of nowhere by writer/director Todd Phillips, a theory suggests that it's actually a cheeky reference to Ben Affleck. The character's name sounds a lot like Affleck when shortened to A. Fleck.
Did Joker 2 Confirm It’s Set in Another Batman Universe?
Joaquin Phoenix's Joker has long been theorized to take place in an existing Batman universe, but does Joker: Folie à Deux confirm that?
There isn't much weight behind the theory other than the fact that Affleck played Batman in the DCEU, but even then, Joker is a standalone movie and sits completely outside that universe. However, it's completely plausible that Phillips, known for comedies like The Hangover, would make such a joke.
Joker Has Had Many Different Names
There are so many different versions of the Joker, some of which are running alongside each other, as The Batman features the Joker and the DCU will introduce a new incarnation, too. A lot of them have different names, and that's if their names are even revealed, whether it's Joe Kerr, Oberon Sexton, or Melvin White. And though their names are most often Jack or a derivative of Jack, such as Jack Napier or Jack White, they're still different names. That means that there's ultimately no one right answer to what the Joker's name is, and Arthur Fleck in Joker is as good as any.
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Joker
5/10- Release Date
- October 2, 2019
- Runtime
- 122 minutes
- Director
- Todd Phillips
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRENTBUYDirected by Todd Phillips, Joker is an origin story for Batman’s most iconic villain. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a down-on-his-luck clown who is trying to become a successful stand-up comedian. When things don’t go according to plan, and Arthur feels Gotham is oppressing him and others with mental illness, Arthur sparks a violent revolution within the city.
- Writers
- Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
- Franchise(s)
- DC, Joker
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, Bron Creative, DC Films, t Effort
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Main Genre
- Superhero
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Joker: Folie a Deux
7/10- Release Date
- October 4, 2024
- Runtime
- 138 Minutes
- Director
- Todd Phillips
Cast
Arthur Fleck
Lee Quinzel
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRENTBUYJoker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips' critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker's lover Harley Quinn in this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
- Writers
- Todd Phillips, Scott Silver, Bob Kane, Paul Dini, Bill Finger, Bruce Timm, Jerry Robinson
- Franchise(s)
- Joker
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Main Genre
- Drama
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