Is ‘Joker 2’ really happening? Hear from Warner Bros. themselves

Did you love Joaquin Phoenix in Joker back in 2019? Out of all the many actors who have played the role of the titular DC supervillain, Phoenix’s Joker role has truly been one of the most successful for sure (standing behind the late and great Heath Ledger, of course). The first film earned critical acclaim and won several awards such as Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Joaquin Phoenix. 

So with such a widespread positive response for the film, it only makes sense that director Todd Phillips is coming back for a part two to the movie, and possibly, even more, depending on how Joker 2 plays out. What has Warner Bros. announced about this potential sequel so far? Well, let’s take a look at all the details we have so far on Joker 2 here.

Back and better

The latest news on Joker 2 has suggested that director Todd Phillips is back on track to once again direct and co-write the sequel. Screenrant has stated, “It’s unclear whether or not original co-writer [Scott] Silver will also be coming back for the sequel, but Phillips’ return suggests he’ll also likely be directing Joker 2”. However, one thing that has fans scratching their heads is the wording of the announcement.

For starters, Warner Bros. introduced this as “the next Joker installment”. . . Emphasis on the word “installment”. What could this mean? Is the production company hinting that this may not be a direct sequel from where the film left off, but rather something else entirely? Plus, will Joaquin Phoenix and the original cast be returning? We think Phoenix will likely be back, but fans are eager to find out what the story will be about. 

There are plenty of routes that Todd Phillips can choose to go down with the second film to the franchise. Forgive us for the spoilers in advance (although we’d be surprised if you haven’t seen this movie by now), but if you remember, the last film left us with riots breaking out all over Gotham City after Arthur Fleck went insane and shot TV host Murray Franklin on live television. 

The first film

After Arthur Fleck is arrested, a group of rioters crash into the police car where Arthur Fleck is in, and rescue him. Then, one of the rioters chases the Wayne family down an alley, killing both Thomas and Martha Wayne as a very young Bruce Wayne watches in total shock. The film closes with Arthur Fleck telling this story to a psychiatrist in an asylum, killing the psychiatrist, and then fleeing the scene. 

This of course opens many routes for the second Joker film to go down. For starters, the first film already gave everything we needed for the second movie to be all about a grown-up Bruce Wayne trying to hunt down the person who was indirectly responsible for the murder of his parents. 

Cinema Blend also suggests “if Joker 2 is more of a self-contained follow-up, then we could potentially see a story where the Joker of this story succumbs to insanity when Batman is already on the scene”. Overall, there are plenty of ideas that can be used in the second installment of this franchise, so it’s all just up to where Todd Phillips decides to go. We can’t wait to see it, either. 

Todd Phillips had already expressed his interest in making another Joker movie back in 2020 when he told Deadline: “When a movie does $1 billion and cost $60 million to make, of course, it comes up. But Joaquin and I haven’t really decided on it. We’re open. I mean, I’d love to work with him on anything, quite frankly. So who knows?”

“But it would have to have a real thematic resonance the way this one did, ultimately being about childhood trauma and the lack of love, and the loss of empathy. All those things are really what made this movie work for us, so we’d have to have something that had an equal thematic resonance”. 

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What are your thoughts on a new Joker movie? Do you think it’s necessary? Let us know your opinions in the comments.