Craziest Joker Fan Theories

Craziest Joker (2019) Fan Theories

Sure, it’s an origin story, but this film raises more questions than it answers. Welcome
to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Craziest Joker (2019) Fan Theories.

For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the most over-the-top, elaborate and compelling fan theories following the release of the 2019 film, “Joker”. We’ll be taking a look at fan theories that pertain to both the events of the film, and those that attempt to tie this Joker into a wider world of DC characters or which theorize about what the future might hold for this version of the Joker.

The Asylum Scene Occurs Many Years Later

Unless there are obvious markers of a time jump, we tend to assume that scenes in a film occur in relatively quick succession. And so we assume that the final Arkham scene occurs shortly after the Gotham clown riot. In it, Joker appears to be replaying the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne in his mind. Here’s the thing though... he wasn’t there! And he doesn’t appear to have just a cursory knowledge of the facts, but rather a detailed description of it. What if Joker isn’t just laughing about the death of Thomas Wayne, but rather the fact that, many years later, he now knows that his rebirth as the Joker also created his own nemesis, Batman? That’s certainly a joke that few people would get!

Joker Becomes Bruce’s Mentor

Ready to go off the deep end? Let’s do it! This particular theory is pretty wild, but hey… “Joker” is already a stark departure from the source material, so why not push the envelope even further? During their brief encounter at Wayne Manor, Arthur Fleck and Bruce seem to bond - or rather Arthur seems to take a shine to Bruce, who, unlike most people, doesn’t appear to be afraid of Arthur’s peculiarities. Joker is indirectly responsible for the death of Bruce’s parents, but given that he himself had a tough childhood, and given the psychological bond he formed with the youth when he believed them to be brothers, might Joker seek to play a fatherly role to the young orphan?

Gotham’s White Knight

Arthur Fleck does some truly atrocious and unforgivable things in this film. This is the story of a villain, not an antihero. But given that Arthur’s ultimately driven by a need for acceptance, attention, purpose and love… could he evolve into one? As fans of the comics will tell you, Fleck’s crimes within the film are just a small taste of the colossally evil deeds committed by his comic book counterpart. And yet, in the limited series, “Batman: White Knight”, a version of the Joker is cured of his insanity and becomes a new type of hero - one who aims to save Gotham from its cycle of crime. Given the focus on politics in “Joker”, could Arthur Fleck take a similar route? He’s already a symbol of the people.

None of This Actually Happened

Todd Phillips’ “Joker” is many things, but a story that should be taken at face value… it is not. The film’s romantic subplot with Sophie is a figment of Arthur’s imagination; same goes with his first meeting with Murray Franklin. But what if that was just the first level of delusion? Some have argued that everything that occurs after Arthur climbs into the fridge is a twisted fantasy, and that he actually died in there. Others think he was in a mental institution the whole time. We learn at the start of the movie that he spent time in a psychiatric hospital . . . and the movie ends in one too. What if he actually never left?

Thomas Wayne IS Joker's Father

For a significant portion of the film, Arthur Fleck believes that Thomas Wayne had a sexual relationship with his mother and that he’s the child of that affair. Every attempt to reach out to Wayne - first by his mother, and later by him - is either ignored or firmly shut down by the businessman. According to Alfred (and later Wayne himself), Penny Fleck was mentally unstable and made up the entire thing. Given Penny’s obvious instability and the abundance of evidence against her, it’s easy to accept Wayne’s story at face value. But what if she’s right? Wayne could have falsified the records, and given how callous he is, we wouldn’t put it past him. And honestly, there’s a lot of subtle evidence to support this juicy theory [TW letter].
https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2019/10/06/answering-the-thomas-wayne-question-in-joker/#3291af9112b7

There's More Than One Joker

This is an idea that’s been touched on in various media over the years, but perhaps most notably in the “Gotham” TV series. Joker is an iconic villain, one that embodies a spirit of violent nihilism and chaos. And the thing about an idea is… it doesn’t die with an individual - it can be picked up and carried on by another. As in “Gotham”, this concept was central to the 2019 “Joker” film. By murdering the Wayne employees while in costume, Fleck became a symbol of something larger than himself. Given his age difference with Bruce Wayne and lack of criminal genius, Fleck clearly isn’t the Joker we know from the comics. But what if he inspires someone to become the REAL Joker?

Jared Leto Is a Copycat or Fleck’s Son

We know… we know. Todd Phillips has made it painfully clear that this film is not meant to tie into the larger connected DC cinematic universe. But as we know, DC and WB have a habit of changing their minds, so really… with the success of Joker at the box office, we wouldn’t put it past them to try. Spinning out of the previous theory, what if Jared Leto’s Joker is just one of multiple individuals who were inspired by the Joker of the 1980s? He could even be Fleck’s illegitimate son! Fleck might not be a lady’s man, but hey, every Joker has their Harley Quinn! Also, on the subject of the 1980s, could this film somehow tie-in to “Wonder Woman 1984”? We’ll have to wait and see!