Joker's ending leaves the truth of the DC villain's origin almost as mysterious as before it began. What was real, and what was just in Arthur Fleck's head? And what was his final joke? We're here to explain what exactly was going on in Todd Phillips' very-against-type comic book movie - and what it really means. With Joker: Folie Deux out October 4, 2024, the sequel will look to build on some of these questions raised.

Ostensibly telling the Clown Prince of Crime's backstory, Joker follows the outsider Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) in his descent into insanity. Fired from his job as a clown for taking a gun into a children's hospital and cut off from his social care, the struggling stand-up comedian begins to lose track of himself. He shoots and kills three Wayne Industries employees when attacked on a train, sparking a working-class protest movement, and comes to believe that...