The Joker movie continues to be the center of rumors and controversy as it nears release. From winning Best Picture at the Venice Film Festival to lead actor Joaquin Phoenix storming off during an interview session, the lead up to the film's release has seen plenty of drama.

In an interview, Director Todd Phillips weighed in on the various speculations surrounding the film, specifically the talk of a planned sequel.

"Well, I don't think we're gonna make a second one. That's just not in our plans. But for fun, have me and Joaquin bounced around ideas? We were doing it when we were shooting because that's what you do sometimes."

The remarks are in keeping with his earlier statements made to Total Film Magazine regarding the fact that his Joker movie is a standalone feature with no ties to the rest of the DCEU, but that the possibility of making another movie with Joaquin Phoenix was so attractive that he could easily see himself diving once again into the world of the Joker with the celebrated actor.

"I would do anything with Joaquin, any day of the week. There's nobody like him. If he was willing to do it, and if people show up to this movie, and Warner came to us and said, 'You know what? If you guys could think of something...' Well, I have a feeling that he and I could think of something pretty cool."

But now Phillips has amended that statement slightly, in light of many fans taking it as confirmation of a sequel on the books.

"The quote was, 'I will do anything Joaquin wants to do, and I would. But the movie's not set up to [have] a sequel. We always pitched it as one movie, and that's it."

So it seems that the director making a sequel depends on audience reception to the first film and whether Phoenix himself is willing to return to the role. Meantime, Phillips explained that with or without them, the legacy of The Joker will continue on the big screen.

"What we're trying to do with this film is do something entirely different from the comic book movies that have come before. And not because those aren't cool but just because we want to try something different. But this won't be the last Joker movie ever made. Something tells me that in 10 years someone else is going to do something."

There is a lot of truth to this sentiment. Especially since Joker's presence will play a part in Birds of Prey. Even if we don't see his face, there were scenes shot that include the Clown Prince. What makes comic books stand out is the constantly changing roster of artists working on telling a specific character's story, and the tradition continues in films as well. This will be far from the final Joker film we ever get to see, although it might be the last one with Phoenix playing the part, considering how picky the actor is about his projects and the fact that he was rumored to have turned down several MCU roles because he did not want to be a part of multiple installments in a franchise. This news made its way to us via ComicBook.com.