Joker Ending Explained: What REALLY Happened To Arthur

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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 à 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 businessman-turned-politician Thomas Wayne is his father.
This is where the film really begins to explore the ramifications that Arthur Fleck will have on the entirety of Gotham once he begins to turn into the Joker. The ambiguity that follows in the final third of the film is what the entire narrative revolves around, prompting more questions than answers. When the last shot of the film disappears, what really happened?
What Happens In The Joker's Ending Close After Arthur Fleck discovers the truth that he was adopted and abused as a child, it sends him over the edge. He suffocates his mother (Frances Conroy), stabs the former co-worker (Glenn Fleshler) who gave him that gun, and discovers his relationship with Sophie Dumond (Zazie Beetz) wasn"t real. Invited to The Murray Franklin Show after footage of his failed stand-up becomes a hit, he transforms into Joker and makes the proclamation to Gotham. He shoots Murray (Robert De Niro) in the head on live television, inciting riots that, among other crimes, kill the Waynes.
After being arrested for murder, Arthur Fleck"s transport is violently crashed into. Following the incident, Joker ends with Arthur locked up in Arkham Asylum, once again receiving unhelpful care, and this time far beyond help. But things are far from that simple, as viewers are left to wonder what was actually real the entire time.
How Much Of Joker's Ending Is Real (And How Much Is In Arthur's Head)?

The real question with Joker"s ending for those who"ve been paying attention isn"t as much "what happened?" as it is "what was real?" As Gotham burns, the Waynes bleed out and Arthur hides his final joke, there"s an unsettling sense that far too much of the previous two hours were a figment of the villain"s imagination.
Even Joaquin Phoenix has reservations about what actually happens in the end. On the Reel Blend Podcast, he opens up about the film"s ending, stating, "The joy of this script and people"s reaction is how everybody has a different kind of feeling about it, and different ideas of what it could mean, and what"s real and what isn"t."

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