When Todd Phillips’ Joker was released in 2019, it was an instant box-office hit and received high critical acclaim. The origin story of one of comics’ most infamous villains starred Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role. The performance earned him an Oscar and helped shine a new light on the Clown Prince of Crime. At the time of release, Joker was said to be a one-off film. Recent developments have confirmed plans have changed, and a sequel titled Joker: Folie À Deux has been confirmed for a 2024 release. Both Phillips and Phoenix are slated to return.
After a rumor began circulating for some time, on August 4, 2022, it was confirmed that Lady Gaga would play Harley Quinn in the sequel. It has also been rumored that the sequel will actually be a musical. While not officially confirmed as of writing, the odds are likely that this rumor will also be proven true. Many fans are asking, how could this work? The first film was a gritty and grounded story, so spontaneous song and dance numbers seemingly wouldn’t fit well. Upon closer inspection, not only could a musical work, it could work in the film’s favor.
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Harley And Mr. J
DC Comics
Online buzz seems to hint that the film will primarily take place in Arkham Asylum. This is fitting, as canonically Joker met Harley while she was working as a psychiatrist in Arkham. Dr. Harleen Quinzel was assigned to Joker, and she developed a professional curiosity about the man. Joker saw her weaknesses and exploited them, leading Harleen to adopt the Harley Quinn persona and become Joker’s frequent sidekick. As anyone who reads comics knows, this is far from a fairy tale relationship. Joker abuses Harley both physically and mentally, all while Quinn is under the impression that she is madly in love with him. Joker sees Harley as a means to an end, while Harley sees him as her soul mate.
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Harley’s perception of Joker, as well as reality, has been warped. She essentially lives in a world of her own making, one where her beloved Mr. J can do no harm. Assuming the Joker sequel does indeed primarily take place in Arkham, we can deduce that the film will focus on Harleen’s transformation into Harley, similar to how the first dealt with Arthur’s transformation into Joker. In fact, the film may very well be told from her point of view. The first film was told from Arthur’s perspective and allowed viewers to guess whether what they were seeing was truly happening or not. A Harley-driven story, especially one focusing on her manipulation at the hands of Joker, could also be ambiguous. This is where the musical elements could fit right in.
Harley’s own mental cracks being used against her is what allows Joker to mold her into what he needs. While this is happening, she only has eyes for him. A woman with an already dreamy mindset who becomes hopelessly infatuated with who she feels is her ideal man could easily see life as a musical. Joker could use a vibrant song and dance number to woo her. She could unleash her inner Disney Princess as she belts out a song about wanting more out of life. These musical sequences could play out in Harley’s head, while the bleak world of Gotham spins on as normal around her. Arthur is already shown to have an affinity for dancing, so perhaps he could knowingly use Harley’s love for music to intentionally manipulate her into thinking their relationship is straight out of a Gene Kelly film.
Tonal Shifts in Joker 2
Warner Bros.
Having Harley see Joker’s mental manipulation as a musical could make for a story even darker and bleaker than the original. Even if all the songs are as happy and upbeat as can be, an abrupt cut back to the reality of Arkham could be jarring and upsetting. The ending of Joker made it clear that Arthur Fleck is no more, so this could be a chance to see just how dark and evil this new iteration of Joker truly is. Phoenix is already praised as one of the best Joker performances, so this could help cement him as synonymous with the character.
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While the first film made it clear that much of the plot may have taken place in Arthur’s head, most of it was still realistic. Nothing too major happened that could take away the realistic nature of the story. Harley seeing life as a musical in the sequel could change this, as grand and sweeping musical numbers could drastically shift the feel of the sequel. The first movie had very few, if any, happy moments. Having another mostly bleak film would draw comparisons to the original. And many fans may find the same formula tired. However, having a musical element juxtaposed with the depressing reality of the movie could be the tonal shift the sequel needs.
The Ambiguity of the Original Joker is Safe
An element of the first film that fans still can’t stop talking about is the ambiguity. Joker makes it clear that Arthur imagines things that aren’t really happening. He is an unreliable narrator, so whether anything in the film is actually happening or not is left ambiguous. Fans are understandably concerned that the sequel will lift the veil of this ambiguity and effectively ruin the first movie. This wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened. American Psycho also leaves the activities of the protagonist ambiguous, only for the less than stellar sequel to blatantly state Patrick was indeed a killer.
With Joker, things will likely be different. For starters, American Psycho 2 wasn’t written as a sequel. It was a separate movie with some elements of the former film slapped on at the last minute. From conception to realization, Joker: Folie À Deux is a sequel written by the same people. This should ensure the elements that made the first film so enjoyable won’t be touched. In fact, the odds are good that by the time the sequel wraps up, fans will have more questions than answers. Once again, it is plausible that Harley will be the narrator of the film, not Arthur. This means that Arthur’s psyche won’t be studied like it was the first time around.
Not only will we be seeing the mind of the Joker from an outsider’s perspective, but it will also be from the perspective of someone whose warped mind sees him through rose-colored glasses. Many fans aren’t fully on board with the idea of a Joker sequel, and that is completely understandable. However, they can rest assured that this movie will offer something unique to the mythos of Arthur Fleck. A twisted and tragic love story disguised as a musical sounds like a brilliant idea for a film; having Joker be a part of it is just a plus.
