Why Theorists Think Batman & Joker Are Brothers

The Batman and Joker dynamic is the stuff of legend, but are these bitter enemies really just squabbling brothers? Well, yes, according to DC Comics theorists. But is there any truth to what is, on the face of it, a ridiculous theory? Are the Caped Crusader and his arch-nemesis related?

Why Theorists Think Batman & Joker Are Brothers

The main piece of evidence putting Batman and Joker on the same branch of the Wayne family tree is 2019’s Joker. In this prequel flick – which represents its own offshoot canon – Arthur Fleck/The Joker’s mother, Penny, claims his father is Thomas Wayne. If true, this would indeed make Batman and Joker half-brothers, as Thomas is also the dad of the Dark Knight’s alter-ego, Bruce Wayne.

There are a couple of holes in Penny Fleck’s story, though. For starters, Thomas emphatically denies he’s Arthur’s old man. Sure, he could be lying, but his insistence that Penny is delusional is backed up by the fact that she, well… kinda is. Arkham State Hospital records also support Thomas’ denial, revealing that Arthur is Penny’s adopted son, not her love child.

Then, there are Arthur’s own mental health issues to consider. At least one major subplot in Joker – Arthur’s romance with single mother Sophie Dumond – happens almost entirely in his head. As such, it’s hard to know what else we see on screen actually happened. Individual viewers, therefore, need to decide for themselves whether Arthur and Bruce are brothers.

Related: Joker 2 Production Photos Reveal Lady Gaga & Joaquin Phoenix Dancing on Iconic Stairs

Are Batman & Joker Brothers in the Comics?

That’s the big screen sorted – what about Joker‘s source material? Are Batman and Joker related in the comics? The answer to this is more straightforward: no, they’re not. While DC has rebooted its continuity multiple times since Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson unleashed Joker on the world in 1940, no mainstream version of the baddie shares blood ties with Bruce Wayne.

Sure, in some timelines (or on other Earths), Bruce has a malevolent sibling, Thomas Wayne Jr, but he’s Owlman – a separate supervillain entirely. Heck, it’s not even clear if the most recent incarnation of Owlman was a Wayne at all. Meanwhile, late-2000s antagonist Dr. Hurt can accurately lay claim to the Wayne name, but he’s definitely not the Joker (he could be the Devil, though).

So, although Batman has more than a few sketchy relations, the Joker isn’t one of them – despite what the theorists say.

DC Comics are available to read on DC Universe Infinite.