Joaquin Phoenix is set to return as Joker in the new DC Universe film Joker: Folie à Deux, and new character details concerning how he would feel about Batman have been recently shared. Set in an entirely different version of Gotham, much of this Joker iteration is unique to the Todd Phillips films. Even the film’s Harley Quinn is different from her comic book counterpart, culminating in a Gotham with an entirely new series of villains. Following this, and the death of Bruce’s parents in the first film, a Batman will unlikely appear in this Gotham anytime soon.
The relationship between Batman and Joker is fundamental to understanding either character through history. Each version of the Joker has generally focused on the character’s conflict and obsession with The Dark Knight himself throughout the villain’s movie career. Removing Batman from the equation allows for an entirely different kind of villain to be examined. However, it is clear from recent comments that the same obsession that has been a defining trait of the villain might persist if a Batman were to enter that world.
Joker: Folie A Deux’s Director Explains How Arthur Would React To Batman
Todd Phillips Spoke Of How Joker Would Be In Awe Of Batman
Speaking with IGN, director Todd Phillips said: “I think Arthur would be in awe of the alpha male that is Batman.” He knows the fragility of the Arthur Fleck character, and seeing people who are able to function in these incredible ways would leave Arthur awestruck. This version of Joker is a very tense and disturbed person, but he is also a very observant man who feels a great deal. Seeing the functionality of a hero like Batman and his success in Gotham would thus logically inspire this Joker.
Explaining further, Phillips continued: “I think Arthur always had a fascination with men at ease, and he is not a man at ease.” Wrapping his head around a character like this Joker is difficult, but in comparing and contrasting him to characters like Robert De Niro’s Murray Franklin, Arthur is able to see an ability to be at ease that he himself does not have. He finds a level of inspiration from it, even if that is wrapped in more disturbing emotions and reactions.
Why Joker’s Batman Reaction Would Be So Perfect
This Idea Of A Man At Ease Seems To Misread The Batman Character
Batman is not generally a man at ease, and it is interesting to see these comments seem to refer to him as one. This would be an excellent misreading of the Batman character, who is one of the most disturbed and broken people in all of the DC Universe. Seeing how that darkness materializes in Batman’s actions through Gotham and finding inspiration from it through seeing him as “a man at ease” is a total misreading of the situation that ignores Batman’s trauma and motivations.
This makes sense with the character of Arthur Fleck, who is on the fringes of society, and constantly finds himself misreading and misunderstanding much in the world. Arthur has a difficult time reading people, and misunderstanding Batman in this fashion would make sense for his character. It is an exciting proposal for Arthur to read Batman in this way and to find awe in his functionality when behind closed doors, Bruce Wayne’s disturbed psyche is much closer to Arthur’s.
Heath Ledger’s Joker Also Admired Batman
Joker And Batman Have Often Been Two Sides Of The Same Coin
Heath Ledger’s Joker saw a kindred spirit in Batman as well, which has tended to be a recurring theme for the character. Ledger’s Joker had many great quotes, but perhaps the most effective is when he implores Batman to listen to him, reminding him that ”you’re just a freak, like me.” Both fixated with different moral compasses, the hero and villain act as two parts of a whole and are both driven by similar feelings of trauma and isolation.
This has become effective in Batman films, and was done in a similar way with the Riddler in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Giving Batman villains who are able to understand parts of him that he struggles with can make for very effective stories. Batman is a dark and troubled figure, and allowing his antagonists to see through the character to some extent, even if they are sometimes wrong about the details, allows for more intimate connections between the heroes and villains.
Joker 2 is set to explore more of Arthur Fleck’s character, but there is always going to more to the Joker character than could be examined in any individual film or comic book. Through the years, an enormous library of complex lore has been written for the character, helping to turn him into one of pop culture’s most beloved villains. While Batman may not appear in Joker: Folie à Deux, it is comforting to know that the filmmakers have considered the relationship the two men would have had if they had existed in this same universe.