According to Todd Phillips, the director of “Joker”and “Folie à Deux,”the character of Arthur Fleck will never fully embrace his persona as the Clown Prince of Crime.
For decades, Joker has been regarded as one of the most dynamic antagonists in fiction, giving writers the opportunity to redefine villainy in countless ways. This remains true for the character’s live-action portrayals as well.
In The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger portrayed the Joker as a terrorist and anarchist who had a desire to see the world in chaos, while Jared Leto’s portrayal in Suicide Squad depicted him as a heavily tattooed crime leader.
Despite this, Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Arthur Fleck in Joker did not depict him as a criminal mastermind. Similar to the character’s origin story in “The Killing Joke,”Arthur was a struggling comedian whose inner turmoil drove him to commit unspeakable acts of violence.
The next installment will continue with this theme, taking audiences on a journey through his mind as he makes his way through Arkham Asylum with Harley Quinn. Therefore, as Todd Phillips stated, viewers should not anticipate Arthur to fully embrace the Joker’s title as the Clown Prince of Crime.
Phillips clarified to Empire that “we”would never consider such an idea, as it is evident that Arthur is not a criminal mastermind and has never been portrayed as one. However, his actions in the first film have transformed him into a significant symbol for many individuals.
Despite serving time for his crimes, Arthur will discover in Arkham the one thing he has always desired: love. According to Phillips, this has always been his driving force, despite being influenced and influenced by others. The goal was to portray the most genuine manifestation of this desire.
Examining this specific version of the character through this lens is appropriate. Unlike previous versions of Joker, Arthur Fleck does not have any lofty ambitions for criminal endeavors. Without the presence of a Batman to challenge him, his main obstacle is his own self.
On October 4, fans will have the opportunity to witness how everything unfolds when Joker: Folie à Deux is released in theaters.
Leave a Reply