Todd Phillips’ Joker broke the mold of superhero franchises, and showed that DC can make a movie that stands out from Marvel, rather than try to copy the MCU. So what really happens at the end of the film?
The film ends with audiences asking themselves exactly how much of the film actually takes place inside of the broken mind of Arther Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix).
Now, an alternate ending of the film surfaces that reveals things were almost darker than what made the final cut. According to director Kevin Smith on his Fatman Beyond podcast (via CinemaBlend), Phillips almost chose a very dark ending.
The theatrical version of the film shows Arthur in Arkham Asylum laughing. A social worker asks him what’s so funny, and he says that she wouldn’t get the joke. The scene cuts to him being chased by orderlies after slaying her.
The darker ending has Arthur tell the social worker “I was just thinking of something funny…” and then the scene flashes back to the murder of Martha and Thomas Wayne. This time the scene is different from the way it was earlier in the film. This time it’s Arthur who kills them. A young Bruce’s crying.
Arthur turns and walks away, turns back, shrugs and shoots Bruce too. The film then cuts to the credits. This ending’s not been confirmed by Todd Phillips. There is no telling when this alternate ending changed.
UPDATE: Steve Weintraub (Collider) updated this news via Twitter saying:
“The story about #Joker having a different ending where he killed Bruce Wayne is not real. I reached out to people that would know and am 100% sure this is just someone’s imagination gone wild. Was never shot. Was not in the script.”
