In Joker: Folie à Deux, Arthur Fleck does not become Gotham’s ‘Clown Prince of Crime,’ as he’s depicted in so many films, TV series, and comic books over the years.
Confirmation comes from director Todd Phillips in a new interview with Empire, which sheds light on the evolution of this version of Joker following the events of the 2019 film.
“We would never do that,” Phillips said of Joaquin Phoenix's Joker eventually becoming the quintessential Clown Prince of Crime. “Because Arthur clearly is not a criminal mastermind. He was never that.”
In the sequel, Arthur Fleck finds himself institutionalized at Arkham, awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker.
So, if not a criminal mastermind, who does Arthur become in Joker: Folie à Deux? We'll have to wait to find out, of course, but Phillips did touch on who he is at the start of the sequel.
“Arthur has become this symbol to people,” Phillips explained. “This unwilling, unwitting symbol now paying for the crimes of the first film, but at the same time finding the only thing he ever wanted, which was love. That’s always what he’s been about, even though he’s been pushed and pulled in all these directions. So we tried to just make the most pure version of that.”
As is well documented, Joker: Folie à Deux is a musical, with Lady Gaga starring alongside Phoenix as Harley Quinn. But while Joker does not become Clown Prince Of Crime in Folie à Deux, the movie’s latest trailer does featured a hidden detail that seemingly confirmed the return of a major Batman villain.
Joker: Folie à Deux will be released in theaters on October 4 and is part of DC Elseworlds, which will live outside James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
