Batman fans horrified by disturbing Joker theory in The Dark Knight

If you’re a DC fan, you’re going to want to tune into HBO’s The Penguin, viewable in the UK via Sky Atlantic or NOW TV.

It may have just premiered but oh my, what a stellar premiere episode.

If you don’t know, The Penguin sees Colin Farrell reprise his role after first appearing in Matt Reeves’ 2022 film The Batman.

Whether The Penguin will lead into The Batman Part II, we don’t know, but it certainly feels as if we’re going to be taken on a thrilling run.

We’re feasting well and yet, DC fans are still looking to Batman’s rich history.

We’re all well aware that Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy is one of the most celebrated Batman adaptations.

It feels as if we’ve well and truly picked those films apart for every morsel of lore and detail they hold, but apparently not.

One fan has come up with a very interesting theory that while we can’t necessarily confirm it to be true without asking Nolan himself, is a fun one to ponder.

Take a look at the trailer for the aforementioned The Penguin below.

Reddit user Aries85 suggests that Heath Ledger played two iterations of Joker, implying the character we know as a singular was actually a pair of twins.

Yes, at this point I shook my head and muttered, “That’s silly,” but Aries85 paints an interesting picture.

He theorised that both Jokers would’ve been ex-special forces - one specialising in explosives and the other in intelligence.

Aries85 claims that in the heist scene, the explosives Joker carried out the job while the intelligence Joker planned it, evidenced by the voice line, “He thinks he can sit this one out”.

The user goes on to add that while the intelligence joker was captured by the police, explosives Joker was kidnapping and wiring up Rachel and Harvey.

“While at the docks, [intelligence] Joker burns his half of the 12.6 billion dollars ripped off from the mob. They never reveal what happened to the other half of the mob’s money (this is a major plot hole),” Aries85 further adds.

Although I always just presumed the mob had the other half.

The user also thinks the Joker’s “ace in the hole” isn’t actually Harvey - it’s his unknown twin who has that remaining mob money.

The theory is that in The Dark Knight Rises, the secret second joker would’ve been revealed, breaking the other out of Blackgate but plans changed following Ledger’s untimely passing.

It’s a fun theory, but I fear it may be just that. A ‘what if’ more so than compelling evidence as there’s more than a few flaws.

Nolan has been pretty vocal about the fact that Joker would’ve been running the court in place of Scarecrow in The Dark Knight Rises had plans trundled along as intended so I can’t see the twin theory being true.

If you do want to see a twin Joker storyline in action, then I heartily recommend you check out Gotham for a spin along those lines.