Joker (2019) FAQ

Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix, who gives an awe-inspiring performance as Arthur Fleck, a mentally disturbed would-be stand-up comedian who becomes the titular killer clown. The film depicts how Fleck’s life gradually falls apart, culminating in a brutal act of violence that leads to his transformation into Gotham City’s most infamous criminal.

Joker has already proven to be a huge success at the box office and is expected to be one of this year’s biggest Oscar contenders. However, despite being such a richly detailed film, there are still plenty of unanswered questions about Joker and its characters. Here are our biggest questions about Joker:

What’s the Deal With Arthur’s Mom?

There’s no definitive answer as to whether Penny Fleck (Frances Conroy) was telling the truth about her past. After all, she did say that she was once an aspiring actress who had been romantically involved with Thomas Wayne, and that claim was demonstrably false. Regardless, Joker leaves it up to viewers to decide if Penny is some sort of delusional woman or her son is just so far removed from reality that he’s unable to understand his mother’s claims. Either way, it’s clear that Penny has had a profound influence on her son. 

Did Thomas Wayne Really Order the Hit on Arthur?

Perhaps. The movie briefly shows Bruce Wayne as a child, and in one scene Alfred mentions that Thomas hired a private investigator to look into the source of threatening letters he received. If Thomas really did want Arthur killed, he likely hired a thug like Randall (Glenn Fleshler) and not someone like Murray Franklin. 

Who Is Arthur’s Father?

This reveal gets lost in all the other bombshells dropped in Joker’s third act, but Arthur discovers he was adopted, and his mother kept him from knowing that his father was Thomas Wayne. He also learns that he has a brother, and it’s possible that he could be Bruce Wayne himself, which would explain why Penny knew so much about the Waynes (she had an affair with Thomas). 

What Is Joker’s Real Name?

Arthur Fleck. As revealed in the final scene, Arthur was adopted by Penny Fleck (Frances Conroy) as a baby and given her last name, but his birth certificate identified him as Arthur and had the Wayne Enterprises symbol on it. In other words, Arthur is actually Bruce Wayne’s brother. 

Is Joker a Real Person or a Figment of Arthur’s Imagination?

Joker is just a persona that Arthur invents to get laughs while trying to make it as a stand-up comedian. He later adopts this same character when he goes out killing criminals who were released from Arkham Asylum by Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen). He also uses his Joker persona at times to escape the harsh realities of his life and to cope with his mental illness, which causes him uncontrollable laughter and delusions.

Is Arthur Fleck Mentally Ill?

Yes, he has been diagnosed with six different conditions including psychosis and narcissism. His mental illness leads him to have delusions about being loved by Sophie Dumond (Zazie Beetz), which causes him to murder three businessmen on a subway train after realizing she doesn’t love him back. He also imagines that there are multiple people named “Arthur Fleck.” 

Why Did Joker Locked Himself in the Fridge?

In the beginning of the movie, Arthur is cooking a meal for his mother. He gets distracted by a dog that enters their apartment and he forgets to turn off the stove. Moments later, he smells smoke and rushes to turn it off. As he’s walking back to his room, he hears his mother calling him from the fridge, where she likes to hide and scare him. He finds her inside and locks the door behind him. The fear of being locked up is a recurring theme throughout the film. 

What Did Joker’s Mother Do to Him?

Arthur’s mother used to lock him in a refrigerator when he was a boy as punishment for being naughty. This caused his lifelong claustrophobia because he always feared being locked up again. In one scene, Arthur tries to cope with stress by locking himself inside a refrigerator while having an anxiety attack. 

Is Thomas Wayne Joker’s Father?

Thomas Wayne is not Arthur Fleck’s real father, just as Penny Fleck is not his real mother. They are so poor that they cannot afford a maternity test or DNA testing done by a doctor or hospital to confirm parenthood. It has never been confirmed who Arthur’s real father.

Who Is Batman’s Dad?

Thomas Wayne is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the father of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and husband of Martha Wayne. As a philanthropist, he is known as Dr. Thomas Wayne, DDS, MD. 

What Laughing Condition Did the Joker Have?

One of the many mysteries surrounding the Joker is what his actual powers are, if any. One theory is that he has a rare form of Pseudobulbar Affect (or PBA) called “Pathological Laughter.” This condition causes its victims to laugh at inappropriate times, and often with no trigger. It can be caused by brain injury or neurological disorders, and some think that this condition may be behind the Joker’s cackle. 

What illness does Harley Quinn have?

There are many theories as to what mental illness Harley Quinn suffers from. Some say she has Borderline Personality Disorder, due to her obsessive love for the Joker and her willingness to do nearly anything for him. Others think she has Antisocial Personality Disorder, given her violent tendencies and lack of regard for human life. 

Why Does Joker Paint His Tongue?

In the movie The Dark Knight, he paints his tongue in order to avoid the bad taste of that chemical which was used for his make up and he also does it to show his character in more distinct way. 

Why Is the Joker So Disturbing?

Disfigurement and mutilation are common in Batman’s rogues gallery, but the Joker alone stands out in terms of the sheer amount of physical trauma he’s suffered. No other villain has been maimed so many times, so gruesomely, and with such apparent disregard for safety.

One of the most baffling aspects of this trend is the fact that so often, the Joker himself is at least partially responsible for his own disfigurements. He routinely inflicts his own injuries on himself as part of some elaborate scheme or simply to exact revenge on someone.

The Joker’s injuries have ranged from minor to fatal — he’s died and come back to life more than once — but he always survives them and comes back stronger than ever. His self-inflicted wounds are just one of several things about him that make him one of Batman’s most dangerous enemies. 

Why Is the Joker Depressed?

The Joker’s depression may be attributed to his traumatic past, the loss of his love, and possibly even the nature of his profession as a comedian. The Joker’s clown persona was created shortly after he fell into a tank of chemicals which dyed his skin white, stained his lips red and bleached his hair green. The effect probably drove him insane.

Does the Joker Have Ptsd?

As for whether or not Arthur Fleck has PTSD, it is certainly possible. In many ways, Arthur/Joker resembles someone with severe PTSD on multiple levels. He is shown to be hypervigilant in public places, living in constant fear of being attacked. He also suffers from frequent panic attacks which are triggered by sudden loud noises and aggressive behavior towards him.

What does a Joker symbolize?

In a deck of cards, the joker card is usually a wild card that can be used to replace any other card in a game that requires one to make a poker hand. It can also represent someone who does not fit into society because he or she has different values and interests than those around them.

Does the Joker have PTSD?

As for whether or not Arthur Fleck has PTSD, it is certainly possible. As far as the Joker’s condition is concerned, it’s possible that he does indeed suffer from PTSD; however, it’s also possible that his own psyche has been warped by years of violence and abuse in a society that doesn’t value human life very highly. What we do know for sure is that he suffers from psychosis and chronic depression; these two conditions have led him down a dark path of crime and murder in an attempt to gain some sort of meaning out of life – something which he has never had before.

Wrap Up

The Joker is a villain who relies on shock, fear and violence to achieve his goals. He is often portrayed as having no conscience or empathy. The Joker character first appeared in the Batman comic series in 1940, and has since appeared in numerous films, television shows and video games. The Joker is one of the many super villains who has a psychiatric disorder.