Joaquin Phoenix speaks out about Joker 2's controversial ending as movie causes walk outs

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Joker: Folie a Deux.

Joaquin Phoenix has addressed the controversial ending of Joker: Folie a Deux.

The sequel to the 2019 Joker movie released earlier this month across the globe.

Despite initial excitement, the musical thriller has been panned by critics and fans alike.

In fact, people have reported mass walk outs at theater screenings as they were so unimpressed.

The movie sees Phoenix reprises his role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, who is standing trial following his previous murder spree.

Amid the media circus, he crosses paths with Lee Quinzel/Harley Quinn, played by Lady Gaga.

Joanquin Phoenix stars opposite Lady Gaga in the Joker sequel (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Fleck has cast aside his Joker identity and returned to prison by the end of the film.

In the last scene, he is heading to meet a visitor before another inmate, played by Connor Storrie, asks Fleck to tell him a joke.

He then stabs Fleck repeatedly in the stomach with a hand-crafted knife.

The prisoner then carves a smile into his own face, imitating the Joker, while Fleck bleeds out.

Now, both Phoenix and Joker director Todd Phillips have spoken out about the ending.

Phoenix told IGN: “There’s a warmth in that scene, which is nice. That’s all that I was thinking about that I was after, is here’s this young man who’s telling me a joke, and he’s nervous to tell me the joke, I can tell that he’s nervous, and I’m going to hear him out. And it’s a pretty good setup.”

Todd Phillips, Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix at the "Joker: Folie à Deux" premiere (Jesse Grant/Variety via Getty Images)

Phillips, meanwhile, said Phoenix looked 'so beautiful' in the scene. He explained: “I think Arthur has found peace with the idea, with the struggle that it’s okay to be yourself. And that’s really what he’s always struggled with, you know what I mean?"

“I like to think he died at peace in a way being himself. The kid says to him, ‘You want to hear a joke?’ And even though he thinks maybe it’s (Lee) downstairs. We don’t even know what’s downstairs, but that sort of optimism that Arthur has, that’s still in him.

“He's like, 'Well, yeah, okay, of course', because he knows that feeling of wanting to make somebody laugh. So he gives the kid that moment, right?”

He adds that 'it goes bad' because 'everything goes for for Fleck', adding: “But I always think that's such a beautiful moment where it's like Arthur still has hope. I think Joaquin is so beautiful in that scene. It's such a small nothing. I mean, beyond the death thing.

“That moment where he's looking at the kid and he's kind of giving the kid a polite laugh in the setup. He's showing appreciation for the comedy and appreciation for putting yourself out there. You know what I mean? Something nobody ever did for him in the first movie in some ways.”