Most franchise movies, including DC's past work, include post-credits scenes — but does Joker: Folie à Deux have one?
What is it about?
Warning: Spoilers for Joker: Folie à Deux ahead
Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie à Deux picks up a couple of years after the first movie. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is being held in Arkham Asylum after killing late-night host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) as well as four others.
Newly-elected district attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) is calling for Arthur to get the death penalty. Meanwhile, Gotham still has its fair share of Joker supporters.
The case is going to trial. Arthur's lawyer, Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener), argues that he created a second personality to deal with his childhood trauma.
Ultimately, Arthur does not make it through the events of the movie. He is killed by another inmate at Arkham Asylum after Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga), aka Harley Quinn, leaves him.
Do you need to watch for a post-credits scene in Joker: Folie à Deux?
No, there is no post-credits scene in Joker: Folie à Deux. The movie ends, and the credits roll. Other than watching the names of the cast and crew, there is no reason to sit through the credits.
This is similar to its predecessor. Phillips' 2019 movie also did not feature a post-credits scene. It ended with Arthur in a new therapy session and leaving a trail of blood behind him in the aslyum.
What could a post-credits scene have set up?
While Joker: Folie à Deux does not have a post-credits scene, there were places one could have gone. The patient who kills Arthur carves a smile on his face, indicating he becomes the Joker.
Is this the same iteration of the character as Heath Ledger? After all, Ledger's character has similar scars on his face in The Dark Knight. However, the timelines could be messy if that is the case.
In The Dark Knight, the Joker explains that his abusive father is responsible for the scars. But he also says that he did it to himself at another point. It is true that viewers never got the real story, and now Folie à Deux is explaining it.
Either way, it does not really matter. It sounds like Phillips is done with DC projects after Folie à Deux, ruling out a third movie or Harley Quinn spin-off.
If Folie à Deux was setting up another entry in the franchise, it could have done more with Harvey Dent. When the car bomb explodes at the courthouse, he is shown before Arthur walks out. It appears that half of his face has been burned, transitioning him into Two-Face.
Dent was previously played by Billy Dee Williams, Tommy Lee-Jones, and Aaron Eckhart on the big screen. Nicholas D'Agosto played him in the Batman prequel series Gotham.
Unfortunately, it does not appear these iterations of the characters will ever get a follow-up. Instead, some characters become iconic villains and will never get a proper opportunity to play them.
Joker: Folie à Deux is in theaters.