Joker 2 Can Finally Answer An Incredibly Dark Theory That Irredeemably Rewrites Batman's Origin Story

By addressing one of the biggest mysteries from its 2019 predecessor, Joker: Folie à Deux could irredeemably change Bruce Wayne's own origin story as Batman in Todd Phillips' dark Joker franchise. Despite taking place outside the mainstream DC Universe, 2019's Joker did introduce a younger Bruce Wayne, long before his parents' double murder and his evolution into the Caped Crusader. Phoenix's Arthur Fleck and the young Bruce Wayne, played by Dante Pereira-Olson, may have a much deeper and more harrowing connection.

Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck was introduced in 2019's Joker as a failing party clown and aspiring stand-up comedian, though his descent into darkness transformed him into the face of a violent revolution in Gotham City. This rampage, including a brutal murder on live TV, culminated in Fleck being institutionalized in Arkham Asylum, which is where Joker: Folie à Deux will find him in October. While much of Folie à Deux is expected to focus on Fleck's budding romance with Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn, some of Joker's burning questions could still be addressed.

Joker Failed To Definitively Answer Whether Thomas Wayne Was Arthur's Father

One of Joker's most interesting side-stories focused on Brett Cullen's Thomas Wayne, Bruce Wayne's billionaire father who was running for the position of Mayor of Gotham City. Arthur Fleck's mother, Penny, formerly worked for Thomas Wayne, and Arthur eventually finds a damning letter that alleges the older Wayne to be his biological father. Questions arose surrounding this claim following the reveal of Penny Fleck's serious mental health issues and delusions, but it was never officially confirmed or denied whether Thomas Wayne actually is Arthur's father.

Thomas Wayne being potentially rewritten as the Joker's own father would be a monumental change from Bruce Wayne and the Joker's backstory and history in DC Comics. The suggestion that Todd Phillips may have established a familial bond between the Joker and Batman would add more complexities to their rivalry, but may provide a clearer reasoning and explanation for their age-old feud. While 2019's Joker didn't provide an answer, however, the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux can finally clear this matter up.

Arthur's History Will Be In Sharper Focus In Joker 2

Some of the magic of 2019's Joker was in the mysterious nature of the narrative, as audiences never really knew whether what they were watching was real or not. This was never more evident in the development of Arthur Fleck's romance with Zazie Beetz's Sophie Dumond, which grew throughout the movie before being revealed to be completely fabricated and completely in Arthur's mind. This was incredibly subversive, and is something that may be repeated in Joker: Folie à Deux's musical numbers, but the sequel may actually reveal more of the truth.

Trailers for Joker: Folie à Deux have revealed that Arthur Fleck will be on trial in the sequel, which suggests that some actual facts will be revealed. On top of this, Arthur will also be attending therapy sessions in Arkham, which should help to better distinguish truth from fantasy, and perhaps foregoing the idea of Arthur being an unreliable narrator, as he was in Joker. This means that Joker: Folie à Deux may be primed to finally address certain mysterious aspects of Arthur Fleck's past.

Joker Can Finally Confirm The Truth About Arthur's Past

The question of Arthur Fleck's true parentage has hung over the Joker franchise for the last five years, but we may be very close to an explanation now. The fact that Joker: Folie à Deux could potentially include more fact than fantasy means the real identities of Arthur's mother and, more importantly, father, could actually be confirmed. It would still come as a huge shock if Thomas Wayne is outed as Arthur's father, especially since this would impact the origin story of the young Bruce Wayne as Batman, but this would also be a monumental and exciting development, too.