Joker Star Addresses if SPOILER Is Really Arthur’s Father

There are a lot of questions surrounding the new Joker movie as it makes its debut in theaters this weekend. And while some people are curious about the film’s ultimate box office success (which is looking very good after its opening weekend), and other people are wondering about whether the film is promoting violence among its viewers, many of the fans who have actually seen Joker are more curious about the mysteries presented in the movie — especially when it comes to Batman’s father Thomas Wayne. The movie goes a long way to blur the lines between imagination and reality, and by the end we are left wondering what is real and what isn’t.

Warning: Major spoilers for Joker follow below.

One of the film’s major “revelations” that fans are left wondering about is the true parentage of Arthur Fleck, the man who goes on to become the Joker. While the movie makes it seem like Arthur discovers his mother Penny possibly had a relationship with Bruce Wayne’s father Thomas.

Now Thomas Wayne actor Brett Cullen has opened up about his role in Joker during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, revealing some new details about some of the mysteries surrounding the film as he himself understood them.

“The backstory was that Arthur’s mother had worked for Thomas in his home, and she was a beautiful woman who Thomas was attracted to and it led to a physical relationship,” Cullen explained about his conversations with director Todd Phillips. “Later in life, she’s in and out of mental institutions. And in my mind, Thomas Wayne put her there.”

So does that mean that Thomas is Arthur’s father, and that the Joker and the future Batman are actually brothers in this timeline? Well, not exactly, but it’s great motivation for Arthur in his proposed rise as a Gotham City crime lord.

“The idea that the Joker is an illegitimate child that didn’t get anything from the Wayne family is a very compelling motivation for his character’s hatred,” Cullen said. ” This movie makes you feel for Arthur, when you see him struggling with his mother.”

Many fans will continue to debate the answers now that the movie has premiered, and while the people behind the scenes have their own comments and interpretations, the film is still meant to show the uncertainty behind the questions. So even if Cullen has his own motivations behind Thomas Wayne’s actions, they should not be considered canon.

Joker is now playing in theaters.