Batman fans divided over how Joker really got his scars in Dark Knight

The Penguin has arrived on our TV screens.

Set within the same universe as Matt Reeves’ The Batman, The Penguin sees Colin Farrell return to the titular role in what is shaping up to be a phenomenal performance.

The series may have only aired one episode but you can see why it’s garnered rave reviews.

The Penguin feels in the same tone as The Batman, albeit with a hint of The Sopranos.

It’s airing on HBO in the States or Sky Atlantic/NOW TV in the UK, and I heartily recommend you give the premiere a watch if you haven’t already.

Before Reeves’ universe though, we had Christopher Nolan’s.

The Dark Knight trilogy is easily one of the best Batman adaptations ever created.

As if we could ever forget Heath Ledger’s iconic Oscar winning turn as The Joker.

One of the character’s prominent physical qualities were his facial scars although, weirdly, the origins of those scars were never truly explained.

Take a look at the aforementioned The Penguin in action below.

The film does provide two explanations.

In the first instance, Joker explains that he had an abusive father who mutilated his face in a fit of rage.

He goes on to add that this is where his iconic “Why so serious?” line comes from, an echoed sentiment taken from his father.

Later on though, The Joker suggests he created the scars himself for his wife who encouraged him to “smile more”.

He adds that his wife’s own face was disfigured by loan sharks so he carved his face in solidarity.

It could be that one of these accounts is true. It could be that they’re both utter lies.

It’s a point of contention that’s always caused debate amongst fans.

“In my opinion, they were self-inflicted for no real reason other than for him to make up stories. That would be very Joker of him,” wrote Reddit user AAAFate, which echoes my own thoughts.

“Well there’s the popular theory that Ledger’s interpretation of the character was a former soldier who was disfigured at some point during his military career,” added Writer417.

“Both stories were true. His father only sliced one half of his face. His wife was alright with that, but when he self-inflicted another cut on the other side of his face, she couldn’t stand the sight of him,” suggested ohdearwhatcanido.

The truth is that, unfortunately, we may never know the real reason.