It looks like a new direction in the Joker’s life may be inspired by his copy from the movie. Arthur Fleck, the reinterpreted image of the Clown Prince of the underworld, can change the classic criminal for the better.
A new version of the villain was the focus of the 2019 film “The Joker” directed by Todd Phillips. Instead of embracing the Joker’s usual dark past, the film decided to give the clown a name and a backstory. Arthur Fleck was a part-time clown and comedian who just wanted to make people laugh. But he inadvertently raises a rebellion in Gotham and takes on the role of the Joker after a local entertainer ridiculed him on live TV. Although Arthur didn’t have Batman to come into conflict with, this Joker could just as easily cause chaos with the slightest effort and even managed to become a symbol of an entire movement.
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Despite the significant differences between the Joker from DC comics and its cinematic equivalent, it seems that they have something in common besides killer smiles. In “Joker #15” by James Tynion IV and Giuseppe Camuncoli, Batman’s constant ally Jim Gordon tells the hero that the Joker is at the center of a conspiracy involving the Network, a sinister order of elites. Cressida Clark, whose father had previously funded the Network, was exiled, and Cressida tried to destroy the shadowy organization using a proxy, where the Joker appeared. Clarke teamed up with the villain Bane and manipulated the Joker from the outside and their efforts were crowned with success: the Joker destroyed important sites of the Network.
While the Joker spent most of his time as an unwitting pawn in a game he didn’t even realize he was playing, the villain eventually realized what Cressida saw in him. The Joker’s real strength lies in his ability to create chaos and destruction, and Clarke used this to her advantage to destroy a society that had subjugated the system to her will. Just as Arthur Fleck became the figurehead of an anarchist uprising, the Joker discovered that his natural talents were being used to destroy an established and corrupt order.
Although the Joker was a radically different take on the character, the role of Arthur Fleck was a unique way to portray the villain’s surroundings. The film gave the audience an in-depth character study that, while very interesting, didn’t quite match the Joker, the villain from the classic DC comics. But this film gave fans one of the most subtle versions of the Clown Prince of the underworld, showing that his penchant for chaos can serve a purpose other than senseless violence. The Joker’s actions, guided by movements that want to use his destructive potential to create social change, would be a bold direction for a character in the DC universe. The success of Arthur Fleck gives the Joker the opportunity to explore a new direction as a more unexpected vehicle for change.
