Ever since the success of Joker there has been a discussion about whether the Joaquin Phoenix-led movie needs and will get a sequel. The movie turned the superhero villain’s origin story on its head, taking away the Batman mythology and the fantastical elements that usually come with the territory, and instead delivering a disturbing psychological study of one of the DC’s greatest creation. Not only did the movie surprise everyone by blasting past $1 billion at the box office, the film also saw Phoenix pick up a Best Actor Oscar, and now it looks like a sequel may indeed be moving forward.
Development on a Joker sequel was first mentioned in 2019, but since then there have been very few updates on the project, and with the Warner Bros. merger with Discovery shaking up many of the planned DC projects currently in development there was every possibility that Joker 2 would slip through the gaps. However, a report by Puck News has suggested that Todd Phillips is “getting pretty close on a Joker sequel.” While the report does not go into details on whether that means a script is done or that a deal with Warner Bros. has been agreed, it is the most encouraging update so far on the project.
Another sign that Joker 2 could be on solid ground are additional reports that Warner Bros. Discovery’s new CEO David Zaslav is wanting Phillips to take an advisory role for the upcoming DC slate of movies. If this turns out to be true, then Joker 2 could be just one of many exciting new DC movies coming to the big screen in the future.
Does Joker Really Need A Sequel?
Every billion dollar movie is immediately the subject of sequel discussions, no matter how unnecessary a follow-up may be. Joker is a movie that tells a standalone story that purposely seemed to avoid any connections to other DC properties and did not allude to any more story to be told. For that reason, there are many fans who believe the movie is best left as it is without trying to string out another installment that could end up ruining the almost perfect story of Arthur Fleck and his transformation into the persona of Joker.
While Joker was a risky movie to make, removing Joker’s exaggerated mannerisms, chemically created appearance and his usual foe Batman from the equation, the response to the dark and gritty drama was completely unexpected. In many ways, the film almost acted as a precursor to The Batman, not connected in any way but certainly closer in tone to that movie than any other recent DC movie.
With audiences also flocking to see The Batman, it is no wonder that Warner Bros. is interested in continuing down the route of more grounded DC movies to stand as alternatives to the flashy, big budget outings coming for the likes of Aquaman, The Flash, Shazam, and Black Adam. There still seems to be some way to go before Joker 2 would head into production, but it certainly looks like it is now closer than ever to becoming an official DC project.