We've already been told not to expect Joaquin Phoenix's take on the
Joker to cross paths with The Batman, but that doesn't mean that the film completely disregards the possibility.
Todd Philips' dark thriller would certainly appear to exist in its own universe and tell a standalone origin story for the iconic DC villain, but there are a few subtle - and not so subtle - hints that this world could open up to more fully embrace the source material, and lean more heavily into the Batman mythology in the process.
JOKER Spoilers: A Detailed Plot Breakdown Of Todd Philips' Controversial Origin Story
It probably won't happen, of course, but if Warner Bros. ever did decide to continue Arthur Fleck's journey to becoming the Clown Prince of Crime and The Dark Knight's nemesis, this movie does leave a bit of leeway for it.
Below, we explore how it might be possible. If you haven't seen Joker yet, major
spoilers follow.
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Young Bruce Wayne
We'll start with the most obvious one: The Joker actually meets the future Batman in this movie.
As many rightly guessed, that young boy Arthur Fleck is forcing a smile onto in the trailers is indeed Bruce Wayne. Arthur makes his way to Wayne manner after discovering that Thomas Wayne is his real father, and shows the lad a few magic tricks through the gate. Bruce is unimpressed.
Their interaction is brief, but there is definitely a bit of weight and emphasis placed on the scene. Granted, part of that is down to Arthur believing he's meeting his half brother at the time.
A Different Joker
There is a theory doing the rounds that Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck could simply be the inspiration for the
actual Joker, and he'll be the one to face off against The Batman in the future.
It sounds like a stretch, but this movie does actually leave some room for it.
Fleck's actions inspire an uprising in Gotham, with hundreds of citizens rioting throughout the city wearing clown masks. Isn't it possible that one of these people could take up the mantle of Joker a decade or so later, around the same time Bruce Wayne is beginning to feel a little batty?
The Murder Of Thomas And Martha Wayne
Joker leans into Batman mythology heaviest right at the end, when we're presented with a very faithful depiction of the murders of Bruce Wayne's parents.
A thug inspired by Arthur's execution of Murray Franklin live on TV and his assertion that people like Thomas Wayne are to blame for the degradation of the city follows the Waynes into an alley after a screening of Zorro. As he opens fire, he echoes Fleck's "you get what you deserve" from the Franklin killing.
Of course, we're supposed to assume this will eventually bring Bruce to the conclusion that Joker was at least partially responsible for his parents' deaths.
The Ending
The ambiguous ending, or more accurately, epilogue, of Joker is wide open to interpretation, and leaves plenty of room for Warner Bros. to fold the events of Philips' film into a shared universe.
After Arthur leaves Gotham in flames and fully embraces the Joker persona, we cut to him chuckling during a therapy session in Arkham. Is he recounting his story to his therapist, or imagining the whole thing? We know Fleck is an unreliable narrator and made up an entire relationship in his head, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility.
This gives the studio leeway to basically pick and choose what they want to establish as real, and what we are to believe were the delusions of a damaged mind.
That Final Shot Of Bruce
Perhaps most telling is that quick glimpse of Bruce Wayne standing among the bodies of his slain parents.
Arthur never witnessed this event, so why is it burned into his mind? It's possible that he heard about it after, but either way, this still feels like a major bit of foreshadowing, and not something Reeves or the studio would have added to the film at such a specific moment for no reason.
There were probably a few more Easter Eggs and references, but I've only seen the movie once and these are the major ones I picked up on. Did you spot any more? Let us know in the comments down below.