Does JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Introduce An Elseworlds Version Of Two-Face? SPOILERS Follow!

Does JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Introduce An Elseworlds Version Of Two-Face? SPOILERS Follow!

Joker: Folie À Deux is now playing in theaters and with Harry Lawtey playing Harvey Dent, does the DC sequel take this opportunity to put a new spin on the villainous Two-Face? You can find out here...

By JoshWilding - Oct 04, 2024 07:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Joker

Joker featured only a few characters likely to be familiar to comic book fans, no great surprise when it was envisioned as a standalone tale about one man's descent into madness. 

Filmmaker Todd Phillips has gone on record to say Arthur Fleck was never meant to be the "Clown Prince of Crime" but Joker: Folie À Deux adds another familiar Gotham City villain to the mix with the introduction of Harvey Dent. 

Played by Harry Lawtey, Harvey is a District Attorney in the sequel and very confident about his chances of keeping Arthur/Joker behind bars. 

The comic book version of the character has multiple origin stories but the recurring theme is that he ends up being attacked in court, resulting in horrific scars which transform him into the deranged Batman rogue, Two-Face. 

Joker: Folie À Deux features a trial and the explosion which rocks the courtroom - believed to have been orchestrated by some of Joker's demented fans - does indeed see Harvey get caught in the blast.

However, while he's shown looking injured and shaken, the closest nod we get to Two-Face is the fact there's some dust on one side of his face. The smoke makes it hard to see, but Harvey certainly isn't horribly scarred and this doesn't look to be his own supervillain origin story. At worst, he's a bit bloodied. 

"We respect the comics. We get the comics," Phillips said last month. "In Harley's case, we watched the animated series. Of course, Margot Robbie is Harley Quinn. But when we run things through this film - Harvey Dent is a perfect example."

"It's actually a simpler way of talking about what we did with Harley, which was really just put the real-world lens on it, and not that other movies didn't, but just run it through our Gotham."

"And so really, the Harvey Dent you meet in here [played by Harry Lawtey] is not a huge part, but if you're going to have a trial, why wouldn't you have the Assistant DA prosecuting Arthur Fleck be Harvey Dent?" he added. "But it's not about his - we don't really reveal his dark side. We see a young Harvey Dent."

Are you disappointed that Joker: Folie À Deux misses the chance to put a new spin on Two-Face?

Joker: Folie À Deux finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him.

The sequel stars Joaquin Phoenix once again in his Oscar-winning dual role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, opposite Oscar-winner Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born). The movie also features Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Catherine Keener (Get Out), alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from Joker.

Phillips, who was nominated for Oscars for directing, writing and producing Joker, directed Joker: Folie À Deux from a screenplay by fellow Oscar nominee Scott Silver & Phillips, based on characters from DC. This follow-up was produced by Phillips, Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Joseph Garner. Lady Gaga served as music consultant.

Joker: Folie À Deux is now playing in theaters.

About The Author:
JoshWilding
Member Since 3/13/2009
Comic Book Reader. Film Lover. WWE and F1 Fan. Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and ComicBookMovie.com's #1 contributor.
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