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As soon as Joker: Folie à Deux hit theaters earlier this month, the film’s ending immediately proved to be very divisive. That may have contributed to its disappointing $37 million opening, which was far below the $96.2 million that the first Joker had in its opening weekend in 2019. Now, one of the actors who appeared in that controversial conclusion is sharing his thoughts about the fate of Arthur Fleck and the Joker.
Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Joker: Folie à Deux. If you haven’t seen the movie or don’t want to know what happens, stop reading now.
Connor Storrie, an actor with only a few credits to his name, has a small role as a “young inmate.” But in the closing seconds of the film, Storrie’s character viciously attacks and murders Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck before carving a Glasgow Smile on his own face and essentially taking Arthur’s Joker identity for himself.
During an interview with TMZ, Storrie revealed that he kept the secret of this twist ending for two years. He also praised director Todd Phillips for using that ending and for taking a big chance by making the sequel a musical.
“It was polarizing before it was even seen,” said Storrie. “The reaction makes sense. I can’t speak for anyone like Todd, but they knew that was the case, too. You don’t make such a big swing like that without knowing it gives people the opportunity to not get behind your choices.” He also commended Phillips “for having the balls to make such a bold swing, especially knowing there’s fanatics following Joker and the praise the first movie got. I am not shocked people are either pro or against what goes down in it.”
Given the film’s box office, a sequel centered on Storrie’s Joker is very unlikely. However, the actor understood from the start that this film wasn’t about his character.
“It felt very clear that this is Joaquin’s movie,” related Storrie. “It’s following Arthur. I saw my place in that. It’s not like, ‘Hey this is where I am going. This is who I am.’ It is a part of Arthur’s story more than it is becoming anything else after that. That was very clear.”
Joker: Folie à Deux is now playing in theaters.
