Todd Philipps has announced a sequel for Joker, the film about the most famous antihero of Batman, starring Joaquin Phoenix. What if Harley Quinn made her entrance? Casting talks, with Lady Gaga, confirm the theory.
The interpretation of Joker by Joaquin Phoenix had captivated many spectators when it was released in 2019, quickly crossing the billion dollar mark in revenue. Todd Philipps’ feature film felt more like a social critique and psychological thriller than the superhero movies the character usually belongs to.
Fans of this version of the antihero will be delighted: the director has just confirmed the sequel. The director published, this Wednesday, June 8, 2022, an unambiguous Instagram post. We see the cover of the script, with the mention ” written by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver “, the latter being already his collaborator on the first film. The title also appears (in French): Madness for Two.
“Folie à deux”, the mysterious title of Joker 2
Where the first film was a form oforigin story, since we were witnessing the birth of this very different Joker from those who have already appeared on the screen, what will the sequel tell? One could easily get the feeling that Todd Philipps has already said everything about this version of the character, who took on the form of a one-shot cinematographic.
But the title shows a break with the logic of the first film. It is no longer an individual story. In this sequel, the “madness” would be shared by another character, so it will be a duo. When we think of the possible tandems, in the matter, only one name comes to mind: Harley Quinn. In the comics, this is usually the origin of the Joker’s psychologist, before a love story making them sort of partners in crime.
This would allow Todd Philipps to delve deeper into the psychology of the Joker in a renewed way, addressing the feelings, while at the same time offering a new approach to Harley Quinn, already interpreted by Margot Robbie in the cinema and by Kaley Cuoco in animation.
A crossover with The Batman – Matt Reeves’ film with Robert Pattinson as the dark knight – is however unlikely. They are two distinct universes, a fortiori because the Joker is played by Barry Keoghan in The Batman.
Lady Gaga in Harley Quinn: Joker 2 in musical comedy?
Other theories had emerged, but that of Harley Quinn is confirmed simply because the talks of the casting go in this direction. It would seem that Lady Gaga is in discussion to interpret the character of Harley Quinn in this sequel… which would therefore, in addition, be a musical.
The talks stage doesn’t mean the casting is confirmed, so Lady Gaga isn’t officially in yet. joker 2. But it does show the direction the film is taking.