Nobody seemed to think they needed a Joker origin story, but Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix made sure we all realized how wrong we were.
The Joker character has been a never-ending enigma for fans of the Batman universe, as he’s perhaps the most unreliable narrator known to man. Heath Ledger’s brilliant portrayal in The Dark Knight reminded us all of that, and eventually spawned the 2019 stand alone film starring Phoenix.
It won him an Oscar and garnered rave reviews, prompting Hollywood to double down with a Joker sequel. News is light, but we know Joker 2 is officially happening, and that it will even have musical themes to some degree.
What we still don’t know, however, is what it will really be about. The first Joker movie left things fairly unresolved, which has all fans of DC comics pondering precisely what Joker 2 could unveil.
To get the party started, let’s dive into the five best Joker 2 theories to gauge what could happen next in the franchise.
1. Joker Faces Off with Batman
One of the most popular Joker 2 theories is that we see the evolution of this evil character to the point where he takes on Batman. Of course, it’s important to remember that there has been a very real disconnect between the worlds set up in the DC Universe.
New DC showrunners James Gunn has publicly stated that the Joker, The Batman, and the new DC plans are not at all connected. That, and Joker director Todd Phillips has suggested his movies don’t necessarily need to introduce a new Batman to succeed.
We at least won’t have Phoenix’s Joker meeting up with Robert Pattinson’s Batman, at least.
While all of that might be true, there is still a desire to see Phoenix battle Batman on some level. Maybe that comes to be in a third movie, or perhaps we just see Batman in passing.
Whatever the case, Batman showing up in the Joker sequel is a popular theory for a reason; this is a villain taken from his world.
If Phillips and co. never had any intention of giving us this showdown, they probably could have refrained from dipping their toe into Bruce Wayne’s childhood. Because we saw Arthur Fleck literally meet Master Wayne, a Batman vs. Joker clash absolutely is on the table in the new Joker movie.
Whether it actually happens or not, this is undeniably one of the top Joker theories for the sequel.
2. Joker Becomes the Clown Prince of Crime and Runs Gotham
If we aren’t going to see a Joker vs. Batman square-off just yet – and quite frankly, even if we will – perhaps the Joker sequel will set things up nicely with Joaquin Phoenix being fully baptized as the masterful villain he’s made out to be in the comics.
To this point, we’ve really only seen the unraveling of a mad man from the first Joker film. Phoenix provided us with an intense case study on mental illness, but truly becoming the Joker is something else entirely.
The first Joker movie flirted with this in moments, but the introduction of Lady Gaga could suggest a deep dive into Joker’s warped psyche, while providing us a clear path to him ruling the criminal underworld of Gotham.
Joker is already revered by many, as we saw at the end of the first movie. He will surely develop an even stronger following, and that probably leads him to calling the shots to some degree in Gotham.
Of all the Joker theories, this one seems like the most realistic, assuming round two doesn’t double down on the “was any of it real?” conversation.
3. Joker Establishes a Cult Following
I’ve lightly referenced this before, and we’ve seen this in the Batman movies in the past on some level. The Joker is not a normal guy, and whether he initially pays people or not, he certainly can rack up his fair share of disciples.
We saw the beginnings of it at the end of the first Joker movie. There’s little to keep the new Joker movie from expanding on his impact on the rest of Gotham.
In the comics, we know the Joker is actually incredibly intelligent.
Whether he blackmails or not, he is an artist when it comes to manipulation, and odds are we’ll see it first hand with Lady Gaga playing Harley Quinn in the Joker sequel.
My guess is that entails Fleck getting out of a psych ward, and convincing Quinn to help him build an underground criminal empire.
4. We Actually See Joker Become a Hero
In the same way some still view Batman, it’s not that crazy to suggest the Joker is at first seen as a vigilante and perhaps even a hero.
Remember, Arthur Fleck didn’t start out as a bad guy. He certainly morphed into someone that made some pretty hasty decisions, and he has a lot of blood on his hands. But before it completely dives into utter darkness, Joker 2 could make Fleck more of a hero that we ever could have imagined.
After all, it’s arguable that’s kind of how he started out.
At least, it could allow things to continue to spiral out of control in Fleck’s head, to the point where he thinks he’s doing good, and he’s really turning into a complete monster.
Whatever the case, before the Joker becomes the hardened bad guy we are all too familiar with, perhaps he can be a bit more redeemable initially? Only maybe.
5. Arthur Fleck Isn’t the Real (Or Only) Joker
I personally hate this Joker 2 theory. It suggests that the first Joker movie was kind of a waste of time. We came to see a legit Joker origin film, and in the end, it’s possible we were duped.
Perhaps that’s the point; there’s no such thing as an origin story from an unreliable narrator.
Whatever the case, the Joker theory that has gained the most steam is this one, which has the Joker we’ve been introduced to either not actually be the Joker, or he’s ultimately just one of many.
Is he the Joker? Is he the original Joker that kickstarts the Joker we know in the Batman comics? Or are one of those true, and his cult following blossoms into a massive syndicate of Jokers?
One of those will probably be the case. Ideally, we at least get a clear answer. But judging from the first film, I won’t be holding my breath.
That does it for my look at the most popular Joker sequel theories. None of this necessarily tells us what will happen in Joker 2, but it does set things up for quite the wild ride.
Add in Lady Gaga and some musical numbers, and I couldn’t be more excited. Let me know what you think about my Joker sequel theories in the comments, and feel free to provide some of your own!
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