As Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck aka Joker is very different from the traditional picture of Joker in common media, Todd Phillips says that Lady Gaga’s portrayal of Harley Quinn will also have different layers in contrast to the comic book versions of the fan-favorite character. Phillips’ insight on the character has clearly hinted that Gaga’s character in Joker 2 will have very different traits and style than Margot Robbie’s portrayal of the character in DC.
Todd Phillips Teased Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn Will Be Different In Joker 2
Joker 2 director, Todd Phillips revealed his approach to the iconic DC character Harley Quinn following the debut of the character in his film set in DC Elseworlds. The director recently sat down for a chat with Variety explaining that Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn will not follow similar patterns of the character’s different versions from comic books. Harley Quinn in Joker 2 will be more grounded, unlike Margot Robbie‘s portrayal of the character.
“The high voice, that accent, the gum-chewing and all that sort of sassy stuff that’s in the comics, we stripped that away,” Phillips said of the character. “We wanted her to fit into this world of Gotham that we created from the first movie.”
Of course, the chaos and mayhem surrounding the character will not evaporate but Quinn will take an alternate route as Phillips wanted to fit the character in the narrative that Joker 2 will explore. Additionally, it also means that Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn will be exclusive to the Joker franchise alone.
Joker 2 Is Not A Traditional Love Story
While the romance between the central characters— Joker and Quinn is eminent, it would not be a traditional romance tale as teased by Gaga. The singer and actor shared that Phillips has taken extreme measures to make the narrative work giving subtle flavors to the love story. “Todd took a very big swing with this whole concept and with the script, giving the sequel to ‘Joker’ this audacity and complexity,” Gaga said of the director (via Variety).
“There’s music, there’s dance, it’s a drama, it’s also a courtroom drama, it’s a comedy, it’s happy, it’s sad. It’s a testament to [Todd] as a director, that he would rather be creative than just tell a traditional story of love,” she added.
Joker 2, officially titled Joker: Folie à Deux, is reportedly set two years after the first movie. In the sequel, Arthur is locked up in an asylum after facing the death penalty as he killed the talk show host on live television in the first movie. Now, he meets his fellow patient Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Gaga) who is obsessed with him added an interesting twist to the narrative. Their journey will follow with immense madness and chaos as they fall in love.
Joker: Folie à Deux is slated for an October 4 release.
