The new Batman spin-off, Gotham Knights, is already changing Joker’s daughter’s origin. After a slew of cancellations by The CW, including that of Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow, the superhero-friendly network ordered Gotham Knights to series. Set in Gotham City, Gotham Knights is already shaking things up.
Gotham Knights is set in the aftermath of Batman’s death. The Dark Knight’s adopted son will ally himself with the children of Gotham’s most notorious villains after they are all framed for his murder. One such character is Duela (Olivia Rose Keegan). Duela is described as being born in Arkham Asylum to the most dangerous criminal Gotham has ever seen. After being abandoned by her dad, Duela forges a new path for herself to survive the streets of Gotham, becoming a skilled fighter and a quick thief. Her background heavily suggests Duela is none other than the Joker’s daughter. If true, this changes her story from the comics in a major way and sets the stage for an intriguing new history to take its place.
In the comics, Duela Dent is the daughter of the multiverse’s Jokester from Earth-3 and Evelyn Dent (aka, Three-Face, Earth-3’s version of Harvey Dent’s Two-Face. In their world, Jokester was a hero and not a villain, though Duela was raised by her mother and The Riddler. However, Duela’s ability to hop between realities causes her to be confused about her parentage. She often introduces herself as Joker’s Daughter, but she’s also called herself Penguin’s Daughter or Catgirl the Catwoman’s Daughter, among a plethora of other names. Considering she is not the biological daughter of the Joker in the comics, it’s possible Gotham Knights is altering her history so that she is actually the Crown Prince of Crime’s child after all. Being born in Arkham might not immediately give away her father’s identity, but there is only one man who is considered the most dangerous person in Gotham — the Joker.
While Duela Dent’s last name suggests she could be the daughter of Harvey Dent (Misha Collins) in Gotham Knights, it’s possible the man — who eventually becomes the villain Two-Face — helped raise her after the Joker left her behind. Making Duela the Joker’s biological daughter could give her a lot more angst and depth to her story. Her journey will surely be colored by the fact that her father abandoned her and perhaps that will also create tension between her and Batman’s adopted son. After all, Joker and the Dark Knight were known enemies. Crucially, having Duela be Joker’s Daughter would solidify her namesake from the comics while allowing her to trace back her lineage without any confusion.
In the world of live-action, it would be difficult to explain Duela’s true parentage despite the multiverse existing on other superhero shows like The Flash. Gotham Knights not confirming exactly who Duela’s father is for now maintains a sense of mystery ahead of the series’ premiere. But changing it to make the Crown Prince of Crime a more important factor in Gotham Knights could be fun, so long as his history doesn’t overshadow Duela’s development. Whatever happens, Duela calling herself the Joker’s Daughter would be in line with her comic book counterpart regardless of whether or not it’s actually true.
