Top 10 Things You Missed in Joker

While the film isn’t directly based on a specific DC storyline, the filmmakers clearly borrowed a few pages from Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s “The Killing Joke.” This acclaimed graphic novel explores a possible backstory for the Joker, although his origins are still left open to interpretation. In this one-shot, the man who becomes the Joker is a struggling standup comedian who takes desperate measure to provide for his pregnant wife. Although his wife is swapped out with a frail mother in this film, Arthur Fleck’s character arc otherwise follows a similar trajectory. Just like his “Killing Joke” counterpart, Arthur fails as a comic and is shunned by the world, but he ultimately emerges from the experience with a deranged smile on his face.

Arkham Asylum is one of the most iconic locales in the Batman lore. Although Arkham makes an appearance in “Joker,” it’s been given a slightly different name. Instead of an asylum, the establishment is referred to as “Arkham State Hospital.” This is reminiscent of Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” where “asylum” was dropped from the title in favor of “Arkham Home for the Emotionally Troubled.” In an over-the-top comic book universe, Arkham Asylum admittedly has a nice ring to it. For a film that’s trying to echo real life, though, it makes sense to change the name to something a bit more sensitive towards those with mental health issues. Arkham Asylum sounds more like a prison than a place where people can receive treatment.

In addition to “The Killing Joke,” “Joker” shares a few minor details in common with the novel “Batman: The Ultimate Evil.” For starters, this book was written by crime author Andrew Vachss, who’s known for his “Burke” series. Likewise, one of the detectives who pursues Joker in this film is named Burke. Even more significant, “The Ultimate Evil” features a social worker named Debra Kane, who helps Bruce Wayne following his parents’ murder. If you look closely at her nametag, you’ll notice that Arthur’s social worker also goes by Debra Kane. This surname actually derives from Bob Kane, the co-creator of Batman.

At one point in the film, Thomas Wayne attends a screening of the 1936 Charlie Chaplin classic, “Modern Times.” On the surface, you wouldn’t expect this comedy to share any parallels to a psychological thriller like “Joker.” In both movies, though, we follow a lower-class man who, despite his best efforts, can’t hold down a job and is constantly dumped on by society. Although “Modern Times” was made in response to the Great Depression, this flies over Thomas Wayne’s head. He merely laughs at Chaplin’s antics, missing the message at its core. Wayne also overlooks the struggles of Gotham’s working class, not to mention Arthur. Who knew there was so much of the Little Tramp in the Joker?

Thomas Wayne is usually portrayed as a sympathetic figure. This movie’s incarnation, however, is a short-tempered bigwig who looks down on those less successful than him and is thus seen as a fascist. It’s safe to say that the filmmakers modeled Thomas after Donald Trump, another wealthy businessman who became a controversial politician. As a matter of fact, Thomas was originally going to be played by Alec Baldwin, who regularly impersonates Trump on “Saturday Night Live.” When Baldwin dropped out, the role went to Brett Cullen, who previously played Congressman Byron Gilley in “The Dark Knight Rises.” Actually, seeing how various outlets have compared the 45th U.S. president to a clown, maybe Arthur was supposed to be a Trump allegory.

Speaking of Bruce and Arthur, their disturbing first meeting is interrupted by a dedicated employee of the Wayne family. While Bruce’s caretaker isn’t mentioned by name, anyone remotely familiar with the Batman mythos knows that this is none other than Alfred Pennyworth. It’s confirmed in the film’s end credits that actor Douglas Hodge played Bruce’s loyal butler. Even before becoming his sole guardian, Alfred keeps a close eye on Master Bruce and is ready to put himself in harm’s way for the youngest Wayne. We’re just glad that Arthur ran off before he could “put a smile” on Alfred’s face.

“Joker” has a few choice cameos, including Brian Tyree Henry as an Arkham employee. Having previously starred in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Henry stands out as one of the few actors who has appeared in a DC movie and a Marvel movie within a twelve-month period. The film also features Justin Theroux of “The Leftovers” as a guest on “Live! With Murray Franklin.” Theroux’s character is notably named Ethan Chase, which may sound familiar if you’re a fan of Todd Phillips’ comedies. In “Due Date,” it’s revealed that Zach Galifianakis’ character is actually named Ethan Chase. While that’s a clever in-joke, it takes on another level of brilliance when you consider that Galifianakis also voiced the Joker in “The Lego Batman Movie.”

Although a few details have been tweaked over the years, most incarnations of Batman depict Thomas and Martha Wayne being shot in Crime Alley after seeing “The Mark of Zorro.” Zorro becomes one of the most prominent inspirations for Batman, from his black costume, to his secret cave, to his vigilante nature. The masked hero leaves his mark in this movie as well, albeit with a twist. Instead of the 1940 “Zorro” film, Bruce and his parents attend a screening of “Zorro, The Gay Blade.” This “Zorro” movie came out in 1981, the same year “Joker” takes place. “The Gay Blade” was intended to be a “Zorro” parody rather a straight-forward swashbuckler, so it likely would’ve been up the Joker’s alley.

It’s no secret that “Joker” was heavily inspired by Martin Scorsese, but how exactly does the film pay homage? Scorsese regularly depicts New York as a grimy urban playground and it provides an ideal shooting location for Gotham here. One of Scorsese’s most prolific films set in New York is “Taxi Driver,” which centers on an unstable man obsessed with a Senator. This mirrors Arthur’s fascination with Thomas Wayne, although the Joker shares even more in common with Rupert Pupkin in “The King of Comedy.” Both men are aspiring standups who target a talk show host. Robert De Niro goes from playing Rupert to playing Murray Franklin in this film. Where Rupert’s worst crime was kidnapping, however, Arthur takes his so-called comedy to another extreme.

In a film full of open-ended mysteries, there’s one question in particular that still has us lying awaken at night: are Arthur and Bruce Wayne half-brothers? Sure, the files Arthur stole from Arkham indicate that Thomas Wayne isn’t his father, but those could’ve been doctored. While we’ll likely never get any official confirmation, the truth may lie in one ingenious casting choice. Bruce is played by child actor Dante Pereira-Olson, who previously appeared as a younger version of Joaquin Phoenix’s character in “You Were Never Really Here.” Since these two actors have already portrayed the same character, the filmmakers could be hinting that there is indeed some shared blood between the Joker and boy who becomes Batman.