Joker 2 Director Explains Why Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn Is So Different To The Comics: “We Stripped That Away”

Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn will be very different from the DC Comics version in Joker: Folie à Deux. While the world is waiting for James Gunn’s DC Universe to start, Warner Bros. Discovery is returning to one of their Elseworlds universes this fall with Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker franchise. Todd Phillips, who served as writer and director on the first Joker movie, returns for the sequel. Joker: Folie à Deux will continue the story of Arthur Fleck while also introducing Harley Quinn into his world.

In a new interview with Variety, Todd Phillips spoke about the upcoming Joker sequel and what audiences can expect from the film. With Lady Gaga playing Harley Quinn, Phillips stressed that comic book fans should not be expecting the traditional version of the character, sharing the following:

The high voice, that accent, the gum-chewing and all that sort of sassy stuff that’s in the comics, we stripped that away. We wanted her to fit into this world of Gotham that we created from the first movie.

There are many reasons Joker: Folie à Deux could’ve wanted to reimagine Harley Quinn as much as possible. It could boil down to the fact that Lady Gaga’s version of Harley Quinn is coming only a few years after Margot Robbie’s version in the DCEU movie timeline, which could have opened the door for a lot of discussion about too many similarities. Another crucial element that may have played a factor is that, in today’s society, it is very problematic for Harley to be Joker’s psychologist only to then fall in love with him, and end up in a very abusive relationship that other stories have explored in the past.

Even though the Joker movies are based on comic book characters, the movie series itself doesn’t really feel comic book-y, and is more so a grittier interpretation of these characters. The level of intensity that comes with Harley may simply not have been something that would have fit Joker: Folie à Deux in the end. Based on what has been presented by Phillips so far, they are leaning more into the darker elements of Harley while also creating a new connection between her and Joker.

Despite a radically different take on Harley, it will still be exciting to see Lady Gaga bring this character to life in a very new light. With Lady Gaga’s stardom and talent, her portrayal of Harley could turn out to be one of the most beloved interpretations of her in media. As Joker: Folie à Deux arrives in less than two months, the world will soon enough know what kind of Harley they will get from Lady Gaga.

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Source: Variety