Joker 2 Repeats the Same Final Message as The Dark Knight Trilogy

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Joker: Folie À Deux!Joker: Folie à Deux you can’t speak as positively as The Dark Knight Risesbut these two DC films have one aspect in common. It was amazing to watch the fall of the Joker franchise. Joaquin Phoenix won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Arthur Fleck in 2019. Jokerthe film broke box office records left and right and became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. Five years later, when Marvel Deadpool and Wolverine just picked it up Jokerbox office receipts, Joker: Folie à Deux didn’t live up to expectations.

The latest DC film grossed much less than expected. Joker: Folie à DeuxReviews – from critics and fans alike – have been overwhelmingly negative. The Dark Knight Risesto a lesser extent, also faced criticism. On the popular review aggregator site, the film has the lowest viewership rating of director Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” franchise. Rotten Tomatoes. The Dark Knight Rises it is often called the “worst” of Nolan’s Batman films. The Dark Knight Rises And Joker: Folie à Deux There’s also another key aspect that goes beyond their placement in their respective franchises.

Arthur was never meant to be the Joker (whether you like it or not)

2019’s Joker hinted at such a fate

Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck in the Joker franchise. The character is one of many people have suffered from the cycle of violence and poverty that rules Gotham City. In 2019 JokerDirector Todd Phillips explored Arthur’s journey as the character was thrown to the ground and kicked, both literally and figuratively, until something inside him broke. As the title suggests, the DC film transformed Arthur Fleck into the Joker, and the film’s ending features the iconic shot of Arthur putting a bloody smile on his face that just screams “Joker.”

However, the first of Phoenix’s Joker films also had a key moment that later made even more sense when tied into the sequel, as Arthur Fleck was never meant to be the Joker. Instead of having the Joker kill Bruce Wayne’s parents, as happened with other versions of the character, in 2019 Joker decided to make the Wayne killer one of the people inspired by Arthur Flecka character similar to Joe Chill, showing that Arthur was not the direct reason for the creation of Batman, but was an inspiration that motivated others to act.

Joker: Folie À Deux clearly confirmed that Arthur is not the Joker

DC sequel makes controversial choice

While 2019 Joker only teased that the true role of Arthur Fleck may become a source of inspiration for others, Joker: Folie à Deux made it very clear that he he was never destined to become the Joker, who would later fight Batman. Much of the second film in the franchise is dedicated to Arthur’s time behind bars at Arkham or during the character’s trial. Arthur Fleck killed six people JokerWith Foley-a-Double confirming that he did not kill Arkham’s psychiatrist at the end of the film as depicted in the film, casting the moment in a new light.

The subtle reveal that Arthur imagined the final scene where he dances around Arkham with blood on the soles of his shoes wasn’t the only way Joker: Folie à Deux recontextualized the original film. Joker: Folie à DeuxThe ending completely changed the trajectory of Arthur Fleck’s story. While Phoenix’s character embraced his Joker side at the end of the first film, At the end of the sequel, Arthur realized that he was never really the Joker.abandoning the fantasy of the powerful figure he had created for himself. This will lead to a shocking moment.

Arthur Fleck inspired his cellmate at Arkham, and after he revealed that the Joker was a lie, young inmate Connor Storrie went berserk. Joker: Folie à Deux Storrie’s unnamed character was revealed to be the real Joker from the franchise, when a young Arkham inmate stabbed Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck to death after telling him a joke, then carved a smile onto his face, taking Arthur’s place. A younger Joker makes a lot of sense since Bruce Wayne was still a child in 2019. Jokerbecause of which the age difference between him and Arthur Fleck was too great.

The ending of Joker 2 is dedicated to the Joker as a symbol

Arthur Fleck is dead, but the Joker is alive

Although this did not resonate with many, Joker: Folie à Deux There’s a story to tell, and that’s that Arthur Fleck’s tragic journey isn’t the end of the Joker. This character was never intended to be the Clown Prince of Crime of Gotham City. Joker: Folie à Deux once again focuses on the protagonist’s psyche, revealing what makes Arthur Fleck tick – who he is at his core. At the end of the film, Arthur realizes that he was never the Jokerwhich was a façade he created to regain the power he thought society had.

Although Arthur Fleck is dead, the character’s legacy as the Joker will live on. The film makes it clear that the Joker is not really just a person, but an idea, and through this mantle, Fleck manages to inspire thousands of people. Joker: Folie à Deux continues to show where the original film began, with Fleck’s trial becoming a huge source of attention as thousands of people stopped to watch or gathered outside the tribunal. Fleck directly inspired Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn (Lee) and Storrie’s “Young Prisoner”. The Joker becomes a symbol of rebellion against the system.

The Dark Knight Rises uses the same premise as Joker 2

Christian Bale’s Batman also completed his journey as a symbol

Director Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was about how a man may just be a man, but a symbol can last forever. The Dark Knight RisesThe ending really hammers home this point by talking about Bruce Wayne and Batman’s legacy. After Christian Bale’s Batman “died” – effectively retiring along with Anne Hathaway’s “Catwoman” – he leaves his role as Batman and the Batcave in the hands of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake.ensuring that the Dark Knight will continue to protect Gotham even if Bruce is away.

Joker: Folie à Deux And The Dark Knight Rises passed on the titles of their main characters to other players in two completely different ways, which caused opposing reception from fans, but both DC films relied on the symbolism of the roles of Batman and Joker. Cause Joker: Folie à Deux was perceived more negatively than The Dark Knight RisesWhile both films have a fairly similar message, this is likely due to the fact that DC’s latest release subverted expectations and went down a path that destroyed much of what the previous film in the franchise had built up.

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