There has never been a comic book movie quite like Joker. The bold movie takes one of the most famous characters from comic book legend and reinterprets him in a dark and disturbing way. It has been the most talked-about film of the years and has now broken some huge box office records.
Though it feels very much like a stand-alone film, given the success of the film, it wouldn’t be surprising if we got a sequel before long. The way the movie’s ending even suggests a lot of interesting paths, a follow-up story could take in exploring the character of Joker and the Batman universe. Here are some of the things we hope to see in a possible Joker sequel.
Arthur’s New Purpose
When we meet Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), he is a deeply disturbed man who just feels like it is his purpose to bring laughter and joy to the world. By the end of the film, he is a quite different man. He has turned murderous and seeks to punish those who treated him badly.
Given where Arthur ends up in the end, it would be interesting to explore what he believes is his new purpose in the world. Does he see himself as someone who is sticking up for the abused people of the world, or is he a man out for personal revenge?
Batman
This film yet again gives us a look at the creation of Batman. We have seen the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents play out countless times, but Joker gives an interesting twist on the story. And, unsurprisingly, Joker is shown to be a key cause of the murder.
The film portrays Thomas Wayne in a much more negative light than previous films and his death feels almost like the city turning against him. It would be interesting to see if these differences create a version of Batman we haven’t seen before. A darker and colder vigilante.
Sophie
A small yet very interesting aspect of the film is Arthur’s relationship with Sophie (Zazie Beets), a neighbor in Arthur’s building. She appears to be one of the only people who treat Arthur well and shows him compassion. However, it is later revealed that their relationship was all in his head.
The last we see of Sophie, Arthur breaks into her apartment and frightens her. It’s unclear if Arthur harmed her, but it would be nice for the sequel to explore his obsession with her a little deeper. Does he continue to fantasize about their life together?
Gotham’s Uprising
The climax of the film finds Gotham being torn apart by riots all spurred on by Arthur’s actions. The rioters in clown masks turn from protesting the unfair treatment of Gotham’s lower-class to becoming terrifyingly murderous.
They brutally attack police officers, murder the Waynes, and break Arthur out of police custody. Given how out of control the riots got, a sequel would need to explore the aftermath. For so many Gotham citizens to react in such a violent way would have disturbing consequences for the city.
Arthur’s Parentage
The movie suggests is a connection between Batman and Joker we have never seen before. Arthur learns that his mother has been reaching out to Thomas Wayne for years because she believes he is Arthur’s father. That would make Arthur and Bruce Wayne half brothers.
While the movie leaves it open-ended as to whether or not that is true, the sequel would surely shed more light on the question. If it is not true and Arthur really is adopted, then it would be interesting to see where he really came from.
Arkham
Arkham Asylum is an iconic location in Batman lore but one that has not really been explored in the movies. Though we have seen a glimpse of it, it would be great to see what really goes on behind those walls.
Joker concludes with Arthur an inmate at Arkham so it would seem like the perfect setting for a sequel. There could be a very interesting movie told completely inside Arkham and examining Arthur’s evolution behind bars.
Reality Vs Delusion
The movie plays around a lot with what is real and what is inside Arthur’s head. We see this with his fantasy about Sophie, but, by the end of the movie, we begin to question whether any of it was real at all.
Though the movie clearly wants to keep things ambiguous as to whether this was all part of Arthur’s joke, there is a way to explore it in a sequel without destroying the mystery. It could be really interesting to examine the entire character of Joker without ever knowing if it was all inside his head the whole time.
Joker The Symbol
Though Arthur is ignored by pretty much everyone in his life, by the end of the film, he becomes a symbol of the uprising in Gotham and inspires other overlooked citizens. This is one of the more controversial aspects of the film, but it is important to note that Arthur becoming a symbol is completely by accident.
He is not trying to inspire anyone through his actions, it just happens that way. A sequel could explore what it is like for him now that he knows he has had this impact. It is a position of power that would likely change him and perhaps continue to take him down a darker path of villainy.
Rise Of Villains
By the end of the film, Gotham is a drastically different place. It has been torn apart by violence and Joker is largely responsible for all the chaos. Given that this seems to have led to the creation of Batman in this telling of the story, it would be interesting to see what other figures he inspired.
A sequel could show the impact the riots have had in creating other villains besides Joker. We could see grounded and darker versions of classic Batman bad guys who have all come about because of how Arthur changed Gotham.
Joker And Batman
Joker does feel like it could be a one-off story with no need for a continued story. But it also introduces a very exciting idea about a new take on the Joker and Batman dynamic that we’d love to see explored in a sequel.
Does Arthur think that Bruce Wayne is his half-brother? Does he feel envious that Bruce got to live a privileged life while he was discarded and left to struggle through life? Likewise, does Bruce hold Joker responsible for the death of his parents? Does he see Gotham as a city that turned against his family because of Joker? There are so many fascinating questions to answer in a sequel.
