Warning! This article contains spoilers for Joker: Folie a DeuxThe Dark Knight trilogy director Christopher Nolan reportedly had Warner Bros. change Joker‘s ending in order to avoid comparisons between Joaquin Phoenix’s and Heath Ledger’s Jokers. One of DC‘s most famous characters, Joker has been brought to live-action several times, each time very different from the last. Still, Heath Ledger’s Joker portrayal remains the most popular sixteen years after The Dark Knight‘s release, and his scarred face decorated with military make-up continues to be his most distinctive feature.
Following Joker: Folie à deux‘s release, The Hollywood Reporter reports that original plans for Todd Phillips’ Joker featured Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker carving a Glasgow Smile on his face instead of smearing blood on his mouth. The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan allegedly asked this scene to be modified, as Phoenix’s Joker smile would look too similar to Heath Ledger’s iconic Joker scars. Just four years after Joker‘s release, Joker: Folie à Deux‘s ending features a second Joker carving a smile on his face with a blade after killing Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck.
What Chris Nolan’s Joker Ending Change Means
Christopher Nolan Had A Lot Of Influence On Warner Bros. In 2019
Todd Phillips’ first Joker movie has been praised for the director’s auteur vision. Unlike most live-action comic book adaptations, Joker is a standalone film that prioritizes its character-driven narrative and doesn’t reflect any trends from the superhero genre. Yet, as reports suggest, director Todd Phillips didn’t have complete creative control. Christopher Nolan had made eight movies with Warner Bros. at the time, which likely granted him a considerable amount of influence on the studios’ projects. Naturally, Nolan’s acclaimed work on The Dark Knight may have allowed him to have a say in Joker‘s ending.
Our Take On The Original Joker Ending Change
Comparisons Between Joaquin Phoenix’s And Heath Ledger’s Jokers Were Always Inevitable
The fact that Joker: Folie à Deux ends with a new Joker carving a smile on his face makes Christopher Nolan’s departure from Warner Bros. more evident. Nolan parted ways with Warner Bros. in 2021 due to the studio’s approach to film releases, as Warner Bros. began sending new films to streaming before they had a chance to pick up speed in theaters during the pandemic. Nolan went on to succeed at Universal with Oppenheimer, but he probably lost the influence on Warner Bros. that gave him a say in films like Joker.
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Who Plays The Young Inmate At The End Of Joker 2
Joker: Folie à Deux contains a pivotal scene in which a young inmate plays a central role, begging the question of who this up-and-coming actor is.
Regardless of Christopher Nolan’s influence on Joker, comparisons between Joaquin Phoenix and Heath Ledger’s Joker portrayals were likely unavoidable from the start. Both takes on the Clown Prince of Crime are gritty, grounded, and heavily centered around the character’s complex psyche. Joker‘s original ending would have caused much more controversial comparisons to The Dark Knight in its sequel, however, as Phoenix’s Joker would have sported the same scars as Ledger’s throughout the film. Still, Nolan’s changes to Joker didn’t avoid parallels, Joker: Folie à Deux‘s ending could be read as the origin story of Heath Ledger’s Joker by some viewers.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
