While the latest DC outing, Matt Reeves’ The Batman is doing wonders at the box office, amassing acclaim and praise from audience and critics alike, its other planned feature, the sequel to Todd Phillips’ Joker has received a disappointing update for fans.

According to The Direct (in a piece picked from The Ankler), the studio, to date, hasn’t received any draft on the sequel from the film’s writing team. The film was earlier greenlit by the studio owing to the unexpected success of the first film, which grossed more than a billion dollars at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing R-Rated film of all time. The announcement of a sequel was met with a mixed reception as some fans argued for the need for a sequel to a highly personal and relatable comic book adaptation. The film was earlier reported to begin production in 2023, but the fact that director and co-writer Todd Phillips hasn’t put in any draft yet, nothing concrete can be said about the film’s status.

Joker 2: A Film Caught In DC’s Volatile Decision-Making

     Warner Bros. Pictures

Joker was a predominantly independent outing, free from connections to the DC Extended Universe, or Matt Reeves’ Batverse. The film, whose foundation was laid by Martin Scorsese’s involvement in the project, was then made into a neo-noir, crime-psychological thriller, that delved into more thematic depictions and allegorical representations than any other comic book film earlier.

Dealing with the ideas of mental health, depression, anxiety, social stratification, lack of empathy, and consequences of austerity, Joker won hearts for its personal and close-to-the-heart story, which surprised every fan. Set in the 1980s, the film also created a very distinct backdrop for elements from Batman’s lore, such as the depiction of Gotham as a corrupt character and ideology instead of a city, the link between the Waynes and Joker, Joker’s idea of anarchy and rebellion, as well as his transformation into the clown prince of crime.

This is what made Joker stand on its own and paved the way for the sequel. However, the sequel is currently caught up between DC’s changing ideas for its slate of upcoming films. The studio is running two different franchises - DCEU and Batverse. While Batverse has successfully established grounds with The Batman, which shares its own cinematic universe, the DCEU is facing troubles with The Flash as the studio is still shaping up ideas to use multiverse and unify its other properties. In between, Joker, which is free of mystical elements such as in DCEU, and is more of a human story, is getting slowed down. Moreover, it’s probable that Todd Phillips hasn’t been able to turn up a draft due to the complex nature of his first film, which deviated from other comic book movies.

Whatever the reason, Joker 2 is still officially a go for 2023 production and Phillips may come up with a plot in the meanwhile. Given the impact the first film made, fans are surely waiting for a sequel, yet, many are still divided over the idea of Arthur Fleck going insanely crazy from being an empathetic, world-weary man.

Are you willing to root for a Joker sequel?