We live in a society where Joker 2 is going to happen. And not only do we have a title, we have a release date too. So, if anyone forgot, it's time to remember that the original Joaquin Phoenix-led Joker movie did so well at the box office (and with critics), that Warner Bros. Pictures is ready for another round of the early days of the clown prince of crime.
To recap, Todd Phillips' Joker took in more than $1 billion at the box office, and (unlike a lot of movies spawning from DC intellectual property) got serious raves from critics. Heck, Phoenix even took home the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the film (which was also nominated for film of the year).
Will Phillips' Joker run afoul of Robert Pattinson's The Batman? What should we expect from this sequel? Let's find out.
Joker 2 is coming out on October 4, 2024, according to Deadline.
If you'd forgotten that Joker 2 was going to happen, you're not alone. News about the film had been simmering in the background for a while, until news of writer/director Todd Phillips signing onto "co-write the next Joker installment" was buried deeply in a The Hollywood Reporter story about the most powerful lawyers in Hollywood. That means, we're off to the races.
The original Joker movie took about two years to complete: script-writing took place in 2017, and the movie premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival in 2019. This is why we think late 2023 is around the time Joker 2 will debut.
Joker 2 isn't the actual title of the film. Joker: Folie à Deux is the full title of the film, as Todd Philips posted to his Instagram.
The title roughly translates to "shared madness," which makes sense considering what we just heard.
First things first: know that Joker 2 is supposedly a musical, as The Hollywood Reporter broke that news.
Secondly, The Wrap reports that "a lot" of the film is meant to take place inside Arkham Asylum. Which makes the title's reference to "shared madness" make sense. It also matches with the expectation for the other reported star in the film.
Joaquin Phoenix is the only announced returning cast member for Joker 2.
That said, Harley Quinn has been heavily rumored to be played by Lady Gaga in the film, as The Hollywood Reporter noted.
Sophie Dumond (as played by Zazie Beetz) is also possible to return, as Arthur did not kill Sophie. This was confirmed by cinematographer Lawrence Sher. She did not "wrong" Arthur, so he had no revenge to seek.
Then, let's also do a bit of recap for who can't come back - per the deaths in Joker. Of course, Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) isn't going to be in Joker 2, after he was shot in the head, live on air. Arthur's mother Penny Fleck (Frances Conroy) isn't coming back either, as he suffocated her with a pillow.
And, of course, don't expect to see Martha or Thomas Wayne (at least outside of a flashback), as Joe Chill shot them both.
But what about the Waynes' son? We hear he's got a new movie coming out, too.
While there is a lot of desire for Batman to be in Joker 2, don't expect it. Such an appearance would require a time-jump forward of at least a decade, if not longer. And we're guessing Joker 2 will focus on the evolution of Mr. J, and not jump straight to the fully-formed Joker (the likely subject of a hypothetical Joker 3, which seems inevitable).
As for what could happen with an eventual Batman appearance, we're not seeing any reason to expect Robert Pattinson in the Joker 2, Joker 3 or any forthcoming movie. Pattinson said to Yahoo that "It's kind of a different world."
So, that means Joker will likely get his own version of Batman and Bruce Wayne.