How Joker 2 leaves the door open for a Harley Quinn sequel

The Joker 2 ending is just as depressing as one might imagine, but there’s still an opportunity for Arthur Fleck’s world to grow in the shape of a Harley Quinn movie.

Joker: Folie à Deux tells the story of Arthur’s time at Arkham and his ensuing murder trial, as explored through elaborate musical fantasies. Naturally, Harley Quinn plays a major part in this, as her and Arthur’s budding romance begins to grow.

Thanks to the additions of Harley and Harvey Dent, Joker 2 grows closer to the Batman universe, and the new movie‘s ending allows for further films in the series. (Whether you want them or not!)

Here’s our breakdown of everything that happens during the Joker 2 ending, from Arthur’s verdict to his and Harley’s fate. Be warned: major spoilers ahead.

Joker 2 ending explained

Things start to wind down during Arthur’s trial when both parties make their closing statements. While everyone’s primed for Arthur/Joker to do something crazy, he simply sits in front of the jury and brings down his metaphorical mask.

Dejected, he simply tells them that there is no Joker. The murders and crimes he committed were his – Arthur Fleck’s – and his alone. He’s clearly been wrestling with his Joker persona, and finally relents that he doesn’t want to be the Clown Prince of Crime.

He even admits to killing his own mother. In the stands, Harley slumps when she hears his statement, knowing that she’ll never make a Joker out of him. She stands up and leaves, saying nothing.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Arthur is then taken back to his holding cell, his clown make-up wiped off. On the phone, he asks Harley to come back and sings to her down the line. We’re also shown Harley on the other end, listening to the voicemail message he leaves for her.

Arthur is found guilty

When the court resumes, the jury reads out their verdicts. Arthur is found guilty on most counts, and he begins to laugh maniacally. A man in the stands – most likely a relative to someone he killed – leaps up and attacks Arthur for laughing.

As the two men are restrained by guards, chaos breaks out. But suddenly, a huge explosion knocks out the building, and everyone in the courtroom is caught in the blast. Arthur, disorientated and covered in dust, eventually gets up.

Warner Bros. Pictures

As he climbs towards the gaping hole in the wall, he passes Harvey Dent, who appears to have some injuries to the side of his face (cue Two-Face?). Arthur stumbles into the street, where destruction and smoke make it hard for everyone to see.

Eventually, a fan dressed as the Joker spots him, grabbing him and helping him into his friend’s nearby car. The two guys, both dressed as clowns, drive away with Arthur in tow. They evade police cars and keep him out of sight. But when they reach a red light, Arthur jumps out.

The two men chase him, wanting to help, but Arthur outruns them and goes back to his neighborhood. There he finds Harley, with a new haircut and attitude, waiting on the West 167th Street Step Stairs.

Arthur and Harley part ways

Arthur climbs up the stairs to meet her. Now that he’s escaped, they can run away together, he explains. But Harley isn’t interested in Arthur now that he’s not Joker.

Warner Bros. Pictures

He pleads with her to stay with him, reminding her that (as she told him), she’s pregnant with his child. But Harley merely sings to him and says goodbye, leaving him on the staircase while police cars pull up below.

A Joker dies, a Joker is born

Sometime later, Arthur is back in Arkham, much like we found him at the beginning of the film. He’s sitting in the TV room, watching cartoons. Guard Jackie walks past, tipping his hat to Arthur knowingly. Arthur is then called out of the room by another guard, who says he has a visitor.

But when Arthur heads down the hallway, another inmate intercepts him and asks if he can tell Arthur his joke. The joke involves a man working at a bar, who sees a famous clown walk in and order a drink. Dejected by the appearance of his hero in such a place, the man offers to buy him something.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Arthur smiles, but in an eerie reflection of a similar joke Arthur told Murray Franklin before killing him, the inmate pulls out a knife at the punchline and stabs Arthur multiple times in the stomach.

Arthur, distraught, collapses to the ground. In the background, the inmate sits down and begins to carve a smile onto his mouth, cackling as he does so. Arthur dies from his wounds as a new Joker is being created just inches away from him to the tune of Lady Gaga singing ‘That’s Life’.

How Joker 2 sets up a Harley Quinn movie

Folie à Deux’s bleak ending for Arthur Fleck doesn’t necessarily mean this is the end for Todd Phillips’ version of Gotham.

Most obviously, there’s a path forward for a sequel with Lady Gaga’s Harley “Lee” Quinn. She gets out of this movie nice and alive, obviously ripe with regret and bitterness that might lead her to start forming a criminal rebellion of her own.

She’s got the skills – manipulation, training in psychology – to rally people to her cause, and it’s obvious from her encouragement to Arthur that she’d be more than happy to see Gotham fall.

And, if she’s truly pregnant as she says, then there’s potential there for a new side of Harley – how does she approach motherhood amid wanting to change the face of society?

With a star as big as Gaga already on the roster, it wouldn’t be surprising if we saw Joker 3: The Harley Quinn story come to fruition. Maybe, given the chance, she’ll build that mountain after all.

Joker: Folie à Deux is in theaters now. For more, check out our guides to Joker 2’s age rating, and find out whether Batman appears in the new film. You can also take a look at the best movies like Joker to watch, and see what other upcoming DC movies and TV shows are on the way.

Don’t miss all the answers to your biggest Joker 2 questions, either!