Although a sequel to 2019’s Joker has been talked about since shortly before the Joaquin Phoenix-led even came out, last week, the sequel took a major step forward. Director and co-writer Todd Phillips revealed that Joker 2’s current title is Joker: Folie à deux, and naturally Joaquin Phoenix is expected to reprise Arthur Fleck, who’s now become Gotham City’s Clown Prince of Crime. Now it’s been disclosed that an A-list costar is already being eyed to join Phoenix in Joker 2: Lady Gaga.
According to THR, Lady Gaga has entered negotiations to star in Joker 2, and while details about the character she’d play are being kept officially secret for now, it looks like she’d appear as Harley Quinn if a deal is reached. But wait, there’s more! The outlet also mentored that the sequel is a musical, and despite a picture being taken of Joaquin Phoenix looking through the Joker: Folie à deux script, apparently that he and Warner Bros. haven’t actually come to an agreement just yet, with “with the two sides deep into it.”
In case you’re just learning about the title Joker: Folie à deux, the latter portion is a French term that translates to translating into English as “folly of two” or “madness of two.” It’s a psychiatric syndrome referring to the sharing of delusional beliefs, and sometimes even hallucinations, between two people. While that might lead one to think that could refer to an impostor Joker, akin to what Willem Dafoe pitched back in January, it also could easily apply to Harley Quinn. After all, in the original source material, she was once Dr. Harleen Qunizel, a psychiatrist who treated The Joker at Arkham Asylum, and then fell in love with him and became his partner-in-crime. Since Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur was put in a mental institution at the end of Joker, the stage is well prepared for this kind of story to unfold.
Assuming Lady Gaga will indeed play Harley Quinn if she and Warner Bros. finalize a deal for Joker 2, she will be the second actress to bring the character to live in the realm of live-action film, with Margot Robbie having starred as the DC Extended Universe’s Harley in Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad. While obviously best known as a singer, Lady Gaga has expanded the action portion of her resume in recent years through A Star is Born, House of Gucci and two seasons of American Horror Story. It’s also worth noting that Joker: Folie à deux wouldn’t be Gaga’s first time delving into comic book media, as she had a role in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.
Regarding the musical aspect of Joker 2, given how serious the first movie was, it’s extremely difficult to envision the sequel sincerely delivering songs and dance numbers. That said, there could be a workaround for this. With Arthur Fleck in that mental institution and Lady Gaga’s Harleen Quinzel treating him, the musical sequences could happen through some weird delusional sequences shared between the two character, which falls nicely in line with the Folie à deux title. Needless to say it also provides another platform for Gaga to show off her incredible vocal talent.
Working off the information that’s been shared with the public in these recent days, Joker 2 is shaping up to be a more bizarre movie than its predecessor. CinemaBlend will continue passing along updates on how the sequel is coming along, as well as news concerning other upcoming DC movies.
