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Summary
The Joker sequel is due out on Oct 4, 2024, 5 years after Joker hit $1 billion.
Todd Phillips’ creative liberty in the Elseworlds movies means the changes that appear to have been made to the film’s Harley Quinn do make sense.
Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, will debut Lady Gaga as the popular DC villain Harley Quinn, but she looks like another DC character entirely. The Joker: Folie à Deuxmovie is due to be released on October 4, 2024, exactly 5 years after Joker made a splash as an R-rated DC Elseworlds release that ended up grossing over $1 billion worldwide, becoming the first R-rated movie in history to break that threshold. Todd Phillips and DC Studios are no doubt hoping to replicate this success with the sequel, which has the added benefit of Gaga’s star power.
As a DC Elseworlds movie – which is a DC production that falls outside the upcoming DC Universe continuity – Phillips is at liberty to wield ample creative license. Naming the titular villain Arthur Fleck is one example of this, while the trend will continue with Harley Quinn swapping Harleen Quinzel for the much simpler “Lee.” The more I hear about Gaga’s characterization of Lee, however, the more it becomes apparent that she barely resembles Harley Quinn at all, and instead bears a much closer resemblance to another DC character.
Joker: Folie à Deux Cast & DC Character Guide
Joaquin Phoenix returns Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips’s Joker: Folie à Deux – we rundown the cast of the Joker sequel and their roles in the film.
Joker: Foile Á Deux’s Harley Quinn Reveals Make Her More Like Another DC Villain
Two Joker: Folie à Deux trailers have provided further insight into the story. So far, it seems apparent that Arthur Fleck will meet Lee in Arkham before the two engage in a collaborative crime spree. In the background, Joker’s influence over the general populace has been kicked into overdrive as the two can be seen being championed by Joker’s new legion of followers clamoring for their freedom. It certainly makes Joker: Folie à Deux look like a compelling joyride – but it’s also something far more befitting of DC’s Punchline.
Harley Quinn’s relationship with Joker is traditionally far more problematic than it appears in these trailers. Punchline, on the other hand, was introduced as a stand-in for Harley after the latter’s relationship with Joker finally deteriorated and developed a much more collaborative relationship with the Clown Prince of Crime. Punchline also demonstrates a more prominent penchant for sadism and violence than her predecessor, who tends to veer into more chaotic and wacky territory. In Todd Phillips’ seedy, R-rated franchise, it seems obvious that Punchline is a much better fit.
Joker and Harley Quinn also met in Arkham in the comics, but it was as a patient and doctor.
One of the more notable similarities between Punchline and Lee, meanwhile, appears to be their relationship with Joker’s followers. Punchline played a key role in DC’s “Joker War,” in which Joker sparked an uprising of followers hellbent on burning Gotham to the ground. The parallels between the Joker War and what appears to be developing in Joker: Folie à Deux with Arthur’s fanbase are stark – and it is Punchline who leads the charge and nudges Joker to go further in the comics.
Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn is the second live-action cinematic adaptation of a relatively new DC character. While it certainly looks as though Gaga is about to portray a much darker version of the character than Margot Robbie, the proximity of Harley Quinn’s successive cinematic outings raises the question of why DC Studios is so focused on this one particular Joker sidekick. The answer, however, is pretty simple: her star power.
Harley Quinn debuted in
Batman: The Animated Series
in 1992 and has since gone on to be one of DC’s most beloved characters after being adapted from the small screen to comics.
Margot Robbie helped to solidify Harley Quinn’s celebrity status when she delivered a groundbreaking take on the character in 2016’s Suicide Squad. Her brand of colorful chaotic energy was still a relatively fresh take, nudging Harley Quinn towards being one of DC’s most versatile characters. This may also help explain why Phillips went with Harley, as she is famously malleable, but the more pertinent reason is that Harley Quinn is far more famous than Punchline.
Why Joker: Foile Á Deux’s Changes Make Sense For Its Story
Ultimately, Todd Phillips and others working on Joker: Folie à Deux are at liberty to tell the story they want to tell. It has already been established that Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is a loose adaptation of the DC icon, with Joker nurturing a widespread acceptance of their differences. It was never supposed to be a strictly comic-accurate adaptation, and Joker: Folie à Deux will continue this ethos.
At this stage, Harley Quinn is as recognizable Joker, making their on-screen relationship an inevitability that is easy to accept. Introducing a minor character like Punchline – who still bears some similarities to Harley Quinn – for the sake of being comic-accurate is not what Joker: Folie à Deux should concern itself with. Regardless, further details regarding Arthur and Lee’s relationship are yet to emerge, leaving the door open for the comic-accurate toxicity to develop and, in doing so, making Harley Quinn the perfect companion to help highlight Joker’s deep-seated sociopathy.
“}]] Lady Gaga’s playing another villain, to be honest. Read More