Joker: Folie à Deux director Todd Phillips has explained Arthur Fleck’s confession and the Joker’s true identity. In a recent interview, Phillips provided details about the movie’s ending and Arthur’s final moments, stating that Arthur was never the true Joker but served as an inspiration for the character’s emergence. He confirmed that Arthur’s journey concluded with this revelation.
Todd Phillips breaks down Arthur’s closing statement and ending of Joker: Folie à Deux
In Joker: Folie à Deux, Arthur Fleck confesses to the jury that he was never truly the Joker.
Director Todd Phillips told Entertainment Weekly that Arthur confesses because he realizes the system is corrupt and unchangeable. Phillips stated, “He realized that everything is so corrupt, it’s never going to change, and the only way to fix it is to burn it all down.”
After witnessing further violence in Arkham, Arthur concludes that his Joker persona has not created meaningful change. This realization leads him to confess that he has always been Arthur Fleck, not the symbol people believed him to be.
Phillips further clarified that Arthur had never intended to become the Joker, explaining, “He’s an unwitting icon. This thing was placed on him, and he doesn’t want to live as a fake anymore — he wants to be who he is.”
The final exchange between Arthur and Harleen Quinzel, played by Lady Gaga, underscores his realization. Phillips stated, “The sad thing is, he’s Arthur, and nobody cares about Arthur.” He pointed out that Harleen never addresses him as Arthur until she leaves him at the film’s end. Furthermore, Phillips confirmed that this interaction is real, saying, “The final exchange between Lee and Arthur is actually really happening,” unlike Arthur’s earlier imagined romance with Sophie.
Arthur dies at the hands of another inmate, who reveals the true Joker by carving a grin into his cheeks. This scene indicates that Arthur served as an inspiration for the emergence of another character who probably assumes the Joker identity after his death.
Joker: Folie à Deux is now playing in theaters.
