Joker
monition : possible SPOILERS forJokerahead
Joaquin Phoenix ’s Arthur Fleck inJokerseems to be obsessed with the Wayne folk - and it could be because he ’s one of them . Story clues and character contingent luff to a serious opening that Arthur is Thomas Wayne ’s son , which would make him Batman ’s half - brother .
Whenthe chilling first trailerfor Todd Phillips’Jokerwas released there was no literal reason to question why the Joker and the Wayne family were at betting odds , since sports fan are so used to the thought of the Joker and Batman being enemy . But besides the general plot line of Gotham ’s lower class rising up against wealthy elite group like Thomas Wayne , with the Joker masque as their symbolisation , there did n’t seem to be much specifically tie professional clown Arthur Fleck and Mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne .
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Putting together the pieces , however , the trailer match well with a history about a disdain son seeking vengeance for both himself and his female parent , against the loaded man who forget them both in poverty , and the youthful brother who had everything .
Thomas & Bruce Wayne’s Role In Joker Movie
Theoriginal character descriptionfor " Mr. Warner " ( the name used for Thomas Wayne in casting ) depict him as " manlike , Caucasian , sixty , a deeply - tanned , tomentum dye so opprobrious it was almost blue , extremely successful , New York City businessman , rumored to be running for Mayor . He ’s a public figure in the urban center and a symbolisation of wealth . " Thomas Wayne is played by Brett Cullen in the picture show , thoughAlec Baldwin was originally cast in the office , as Phillips had been seeking to present Wayne Sr . as a Trump - like figure ( Baldwin magnificently play Trump onSNL ) . Meanwhile , theyoung Bruce Wayneis played by Dante Pereira - Olson .
Thomas Wayne is indeedrunning for Mayor , as prop poster spot on the set of Joker first give away , but he does n’t appear to be a popular public figure . The trailer showed a protest bring situation outside the Wayne Building , andset pic revealedplacards with messages like " Blame Wayne " and " Fascist Wayne is to Blame . " A stroke in the trailer also showed Thomas Wayne being assault by a pack wearing Joker masque in a tube station , while the clown himself nonchalantly sauntered away , and during the protest outside the Wayne Building we see Arthur getting throw down the stairs . Clearly , Arthur ’s alter ego is the flashpoint for this outburst of anti - Wayne persuasion , and the reasons could be very personal .
Is Thomas Wayne the Joker’s Father?
The key to this theory is Arthur ’s mother , Penny Fleck , who is played by Frances Conroy . As exhibit in the trailers , Arthur still inhabit with his mother in what see like a small apartment . We see him dancing with her in front of the television system , and launder her hair in the bath . The two of them are clearly very close - possibly unhealthily so .
Related : Joker Trailer Breakdown : 15 Story Reveals & Secrets
Anearly character descriptionfor Penny described her as , " very attractive in her young person , obsessed with her former employer and ineffectual to believe this is what her animation has come to . " The second part of that is key , as there ’s a good probability that Penny ’s " former employer " was Wayne Enterprises ( this alone would explain Arthur ’s resentment towards the Wayne sept ) . Conroy and Cullen are both in their 60 and Phoenix is in his forties , which means the timeline for certain match with a classic chronicle of a inside vernal heritor having an affair with one of his company ’s employees , resulting in a pregnancy .
From there we can theorize that the naive young Penny Fleck was dismissed and silenced by Wayne Enterprises in the interests of protect unseasoned Thomas Wayne ’s report - perhaps guide a lump centre of money in exchange for signalize a non - disclosure understanding , and curse never to convey up the matter of Arthur ’s parentage . During one part of the house trailer , a tense - depend Arthur is indicate visiting Arkham State Hospital ’s psychiatrical Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth ; could Thomas Wayne go so far as to have Penny Fleck forcibly committed , if she made claims abut Arthur ’s line of descent during Wayne ’s mayoral cause ? That would for certain be the sort of thing that could make an already unstable man snatch .
What Does Joker Being A Wayne Mean For Batman?
The enduring appeal of the Joker as a baddie is that we never really know his motive - if he even has one . Alan Moore and Brian Bolland ’s graphic novelThe Killing Jokehypothesized the easily - known adaptation of the Joker ’s origin tarradiddle , but its condition as DC Comics canon has wavered over the years . Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttoyed with themysterious nature of the Joker ’s backstory , with the character differentiate two stories about how he got his scratch - either of which could explain the supposed emotional trauma that lead to him painting his face and becoming a terrorist . However , neither of the stories really reverberate genuine , and there was a definite sense that they were simply another one of the Joker ’s games .
If the theory about Phoenix ’s Joker being the illegitimate and ignored son of Thomas Wayne is true , however , then Phillips ' pic could be a more straightforward tale of retaliation . The trailer showed Arthur target young Bruce Wayne - enticing him over to the gate of Wayne Manor and then force his oral cavity into a grin . It ’s potential that Phillips ' film is some variety of " What if … ? " take on the DC universe where the Joker kills Bruce Wayne as a child and Batman is never born ( or perhaps Thomas Wayne becomes Batman rather , a laFlashpoint ) . It ’s also possible that theJoker will be responsible for Batman ’s origins , which would be an interesting twist onThe Killing Joke .
no matter , the estimate of the Joker being a Wayne would definitely disgorge an interesting light on the usual moral force between himself and Batman , and would also add up extra layer to his obsession with the caped crusader . And while it might sound far - fetched to hint that Batman and the Joker could be brother , this is just one hypothetical origin story of many - so why not go crazy with it ?
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