Connor Storrie has opened up about his brief role in Warner Bros.’ Joker: Folie á Deux, and what his character’s actions at the end of the DC sequel mean for the Clown Prince of Crime’s cinematic future.
At the end of the Joker sequel, a young Arkham inmate (played by Storrie) repeatedly stabs Joaquin Phoenix‘s Arthur Fleck in the stomach. After leaving Arthur to bleed to death, the young inmate begins to carve a smile on his own face while laughing hysterically. The shocking twist ending for Folie á Deux has been met with a mixed reception by fans, who have been left to speculate if Storrie’s unnamed inmate character is the real Joker in the movie’s universe.
While speaking with TMZ (via ComicBook.com) about his surprise role in the movie, Storrie tiptoed around outright confirming or denying what audiences are supposed to take away from the ending, noting, “It definitely wasn’t shut down [theories about New Joker], but it also wasn’t like, ‘Hey, look, this is your future or the future of this character.'”
Although his character, and the various theories about him, have quickly become one of the movie’s main talking points within the DC fandom, Storrie explained that he knew from the beginning that Joker: Folie á Deux was about completing Arthur Fleck’s story and not introducing a new pseudo-Joker.
“For me, it very clear that it was Joaquin’s movie – this is following Arthur – so I definitely saw my place in that. It’s not like ‘Hey look, this is where I’m going, this is who I am! I saw it very much as a part of that story rather than it becoming anything else after that. Yeah that was very clear,'” Storrie said. “We do follow Arthur the entire time, so it really is his story no matter how it ends. It is the story of Arthur Fleck from sort of beginning to end.”
The actor added, “I was just so excited to be there that I wasn’t even really considering what that could mean or where that could go. I obviously know that the Joker has a huge following, I would even say cult following: Joker fans are very into it. But I was honestly just kind of like ‘I cannot believe I’m here right now; I cannot believe this is what I’m doing.’ It was also so under wraps that I really didn’t know anything else about the movie except for that part in it. Which I don’t think anyone on set knew anything about that. They were very serious about keeping everything on lock. I couldn’t say anything to anyone for two years – I booked that two years ago now… Just being a part of it… I wasn’t even thinking what that could mean.”
Is Joker: Folie á Deux the end of Arthur Fleck’s story?
With Arthur Fleck left for dead by the time the credits begin to roll in Folie á Deux, it’s clear that the character’s story has come to a close. Earlier this month, writer-director Todd Phillips shared with The Hollywood Reporter that he felt “like my time in the DC Universe was these two films.” He had previously stated back in August that Folie á Deux had allowed him to conclude “what we wanted to say in this world.”
Another, and arguably more important, factor at play are the sequel’s earnings. With Joker: Folie á Deux tanking at the box office, it is unlikely that Warner Bros. and DC Studios will opt to continue with the franchise.
Joker: Folie á Deux is now in theaters.
