Todd Phillips' Joker has been one of the most talked about releases of the last year. After debuting to critical success at film festivals, the unsettling psychological drama appeared to be a front runner for Awards Season. Joker broke box office records, and was nominated for a whopping 11 Oscars, with Joaquin Phoenix winning for Best Actor. Given the film's success, rumors about a possible sequel soon began swirling around the internet. And now actress Zazie Beetz has broken her silence on the subject.
Zazie Beetz starred as Sophie in Joker, with all of her scenes opposite Joaquin Phoenix himself. She was a love interest and Arthur's one source of kindness, before it was revealed that their relationship was a delusion in the mentally ill man's mind. Beetz was asked about the possibility of a Joker sequel on the red carpet of the Academy Awards, to which she said:
I don’t know if it needs one. I think there’s a lot of strength in not milking something. Honestly, I feel like Todd would be the person to do that tastefully. I think if he felt that it needed one. I really trust him. He’s really creative and smart so sure.
Well, that was honest. It looks like Zazie Beetz doesn't really think that Joker needs a follow-up movie. That said, she trusts the creative vision of director Todd Phillips.
Zazie Beetz' comments to MTV News show what the Atlanta actress truly feels about the possibility of another Joker movie. While getting the gig in the first one was an honor and she was pleased to work so closely with Joaquin Phoenix, Beetz isn't sure the story needs an entirely new movie. Although if anyone can make it work, it would be director Todd Phillips.
Narratively, Zazie Beetz makes a great deal of sense. Joker had a clear story toward Arthur Fleck's madness, with the audience watching as Gotham City beats down the protagonist throughout the movie's runtime. This makes his transformation into the Clown Prince of Crime feel earned, with his villain status cemented by killing Murray Franklin on live television.
The origin story for the title character seemed complete by the end of Joker, although there was some discussion about how much of the film's contents "really" happened. Arthur Fleck suffered from delusions consistently through the movie, fantasizing about meeting Murray Franklin and inventing his relationship with Sophie. So one popular theory is that the entire movie was in his head, an imaginary world thought up by an inmate of Arkham Aslym. What's more, Todd Phillips has even fanned the flames of this theory.
We'll just have to wait and see if a Joker sequel actually happens. Personally, I'm hoping that the movie is left alone, with Todd Phillips crafting another unique origin story for a comic book character instead. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
