Gotham’s canon location is heavily debated amidst conflicting depictions in film, TV, video games, and comics. Director Todd Phillips said Joker: Folie à Deux will reveal his thoughts on the theory.
Director Todd Phillips is going against consensus over Gotham City’s real-world location. The comics and their adaptations place the city in different states, even though the term “Gotham” was coined as a direct reference to New York City. Gotham was first mentioned as Batman’s city in Batman #4 (1940), but the exact location was kept a mystery. Phillips acknowledged the popular theory but asserted they adopted the nickname’s etymology. “Well, Gotham is often said to be in New Jersey,” he told IGN. “It was discussed. Not with anyone at DC, it was discussed amongst ourselves.”
Joker: Folie à Deux revolves around Arthur Fleck’s prosecution, spearheaded by Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent. The film confirms the case is labeled “The State of New York vs. Arthur Fleck.” Explicit references like license plates and documents also confirm Gotham City is inside New York State. “We just kinda went with the ‘who are we kidding’ idea,” Phillips asserted. “Also cause it sounded weird ‘The State of New Jersey vs Arthur Fleck.'”
Joker featured cues to Gotham as part of 1980s New York. Phillips confirmed this was a deliberate choice to set the film apart from Warner Bros.’ plans for the DC Extended Universe (and James Gunn’s upcoming DCU reboot). “One reason was to separate it quite frankly, from the DC universe,” he told CinemaBlend. “When I pitched to Warner Brothers, and handed the script in, to sort of make it clear, this isn’t f—ing with anything you have going on. This is like a separate universe. So much so, it takes place in the past, before everything else.” Joker was filmed in Newark, New Jersey and New York City.
Joker: Folie à Deux Wraps Up Arthur Fleck’s Story
Joker: Folie à Deux sees Arthur Fleck facing trial for the murders he committed throughout the city. The film is a direct follow-up to Joker’s ending but will venture into a new film genre. Based on the trailers, the tone and setting adopt the original movie’s; critics have compared Joker‘s premise to Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, particularly Arthur’s deconstruction and his obsession with talk show host Murray Franklin. Phillips has asserted Joker: Folie à Deux is his last Joker film, hinting at a definitive resolution to Arthur Fleck’s story.
The events of Joker: Folie à Deux is set two years after the first film, which confirmed Arthur has been admitted to Arkham State Hospital after the killing spree. Phillips said the sequel will delve deep into Arthur’s insanity. “The goal of this movie is to make it feel like it was made by crazy people,” he told Variety. “The inmates are running the asylum.” DC adaptations have proven Gotham villains can hold their own in standalone stories; The Dark Knight’s Rogue’s gallery is packed with fully-fleshed out enemies, as proven by Oz Cobb’s continuing arc in HBO’s The Penguin.
Joker: Folie à Deux premieres in theaters on Oct. 4.
Source: IGN
