Who is the Real Joker in James Gunn’s DCU?

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker: Folie à Deux has been very divisive among the DC fan base. The film promised a visual spectacle that continues Arthur Fleck’s story from the first film, adding Lady Gaga to the cast as Harley Quinn. However, not all DC fans could agree to the climax of the film, which apparently introduces a new Joker to the mix.

Whether that sounds brilliant or dumb depends on how you took the message of Todd Phillips’ first film. As expected, Joker 2 is more like a courtroom drama, where Fleck’s attorney tries to prove that the crimes of Phoenix’s character in the first film were committed by this other personality called “Joker”.

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker 2 Divisive Climax Settles The Debate On Who The Real Joker Is

Fans were already warned about the divisive nature of the climax of Joker: Folie à Deux by director Todd Phillips. He had earlier mentioned at a pre-screening event that the climax is “unsettling”, while also adding that it would clarify a lot of things. Fans are not sure whether it did the latter part, but they definitely found it to be unsettling.

In the film’s climax, a bomb explodes outside the courthouse, and Joaquin Phoenix‘s Arthur Fleck escapes the chaos, aided by his supporters. On the courthouse steps, he encounters Lee (Harley Quinn), who breaks up with him. She realizes that Fleck is not truly the Joker, but rather someone who briefly adopted the persona. Following these events, Fleck is sent back to Arkham Asylum.

While in the asylum, he is approached by another inmate who stabs him and leaves him to die. The inmate, played by Jacob Lofland, laughs psychotically and carves himself a Heath Ledger-style Joker smile with his knife, signaling that he is ready to take on the mantle of Joker himself.

Phoenix is not coming back to the role after his fate in this film’s climax and Phillips has confirmed that there will be no Joker 3 (via Variety). So what does this climax mean for James Gunn‘s DCU? Gunn is yet to cast the roles in The Brave and the Bold and fans are not even sure if the film has a Joker character in it.

By making the Joker a mantle in the film, Gunn settles the debate of who the real Joker is in the DC Elseworlds Universe. Both Phoenix and Barry Keoghan (from The Batman) can be two different people who took on the Joker mantle. Gunn can also take the same route for the character in the DCU or even bring Keoghan or Lofland into his universe.

Barry Keoghan’s Character Is Not Yet Revealed As The Joker; Neither Is His Identity Revealed

While fans only got a glimpse of Barry Keoghan’s character in The Batman, they immediately recognized him to be the Joker in Matt Reeves‘ universe. The film featured a quick moment of interaction between Keoghan’s Joker and Paul Dano’s Riddler. If the Joker is assumed to be a mantle, Reeves has a potential storyline to explore with this character in the next film.

Keoghan appears to be a calmer yet more dangerous version of the character. He has shown his physical scars and manipulative behavior in the few seconds of screentime he got. Keoghan recently opened up about his return to the character. He spoke to Variety:

Joker: Folie à Deux is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 4, 2024. The Batman Part II is scheduled to be released in 2025.