Todd Phillips who gained global fame with his The Hangover made the headlines with the 2019 crime thriller Joker— the DC ‘Elseworlds’ movie that went on to earn a staggering $1.079 billion at the global box office. The director is bringing another sequel to the franchise but assured that Joker will never cross paths with Matt Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga and James Gunn’s new DC universe for a fascinating reason.
Why Joker Will Never Cross Path With Other DC Worlds
Todd Phillips’ Joker sequel Joker: Folie à Deux has been under astonishing hype since the announcement of the movie. Joaquin Phoenix returns as the titular Joker Arthur Fleck in the sequel, joined by Lady Gaga as Harley ‘Lee’ Quinzel. Phillips recently spoke with EMPIRE shedding light on the fact that Phoenix’s Joker will never be the Clown Prince of Gotham. “We would never do that,” Phillips told the outlet.
The reason, as shared by the director, is quite clear, “Because Arthur clearly is not a criminal mastermind. He was never that.” Arthur is not essentially a villain who would go against Batman and antagonize the people of Gotham. Rather than becoming Batman’s arch-nemesis, he fights for his existence and will always be fighting his own battle that compels his actions.
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It could simply be a hint that despite being another ‘Elseworld’ movie, Phoenix’s Joker would not cross Matt Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga starring Robert Pattinson as Gotham’s Capes Crusader. Also, James Gunn, who is rebuilding the DC Universe with Peter Safran, is unlikely to visit the outskirts of the universe under any circumstances.
So far, Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga has the Joker actor sorted. Barry Keoghan plays the titular villain opposite Pattinson. While Batman in Gunn’s Universe is yet to be booked as previous Batman star Ben Affleck was dismissed from the studio as the DC co-CEO revamped the universe. Jared Leto’s Joker is also seemingly out of the question.
Why Arthur Fleck Will Never Be Clown Prince Of Gotham?
The very narrative of Arthur Fleck is different from the other versions of Joker we have seen so far in the DC Universe. Phillips further said that Arthur “has become this symbol to people.”
“This unwilling, unwitting symbol now paying for the crimes of the first film, but at the same time finding the only thing he ever wanted, which was love. That’s always what he’s been about, even though he’s been pushed and pulled in all these directions. So we tried to just make the most pure version of that.”
Further, Arthur’s journey will be further accompanied by Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinzel in a musical road to exploration of their worlds. The character, as the director shared has a music in him and “It was important to protect that with poor phrasing and occasional bum notes.”
“Arthur grew up hearing his mother play these songs on the radio. He’s not a singer, and he shouldn’t sound like a professional singer. He should sound like somebody that’s taking a shower and just bursts out into song.”
The musical journey is expected to enhance the psychological essence of the movie. The release of the first trailer has already gained positive reactions from fans further enhancing the hype.
Joker: Folie à Deux is set to hit the theaters on October 4, 2024.
