5 Directions Joker 2 Could Take

"If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice." This iconic line from The Killing Joke has defined the character for over 30 years. Alan Moore's seminal comic makes it clear that The Joker is not to be trusted in anything he says. No matter what he tells you, it's just an attempt to mess with your head. Heath Ledger's portrayal leaned into this with the changing story of how he got those scars. Joker 2 could take things one step further.

Arthur is an unreliable narrator. There is no reason to believe any of the events portrayed in Joker happened how he describes them. At best, he's embellishing the past. At worst, he's pulled a Usual Suspects and made the whole thing up.

Joker made so much money that there's little risk in going way out there with the sequel. So why not go big? I'm suggesting that the second movie disregards the entirety of the first's events and gives a second origin. It's still Joaquin Phoenix in the lead, but that's the only similarity. It's not set in 1981, he's not a stand-up comedian, he's not even called Arthur Fleck. These are the stories of a sick man who lies for fun. Why would he ever be honest about where he came from?

The Joker can be whatever he wants to be. There's no reason why Joker 2 can't be set in a totally different time period with the same actor in a contradictory story. Sure, this could potentially upset those who are invested in the tale of Arthur Fleck, but hasn't the most consistent element of The Joker been that we'll never know who he really is?