2019's Joker didn't adhere to the comic books and delivered a unique, standalone interpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime and his origin story.
That proved to be far from a bad thing, of course, and while Todd Phillips' movie was lacking when it came to faithfulness to the source material, it more than made up for that with a compelling, often haunting approach to Arthur Fleck's villainous transformation. Next year, we're getting a sequel, with Lady Gaga set to join Joaquin Phoenix as Harley Quinn.
On the page (and in Batman: The Animated Series), Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a psychiatrist in Arkham Asylum who fell under The Joker's spell while attempting to treat him.
That led to her becoming Harley Quinn, but scooper KC Walsh is claiming that Joker: Folie à Deux will put a new spin on the character. Rather than treating Arthur, she'll also be a patient within Arkham's confines, something that perhaps makes more sense than a doctor falling in love with her patient.
While that worked in the comic books, Arthur is basically a guy who murdered a talk show host and inspired a city to don face paint and fight back against the rich. That's an impressive list of crimes, but the unhinged clown is unlikely to be much of a draw to his beautiful psychiatrist!
When one fan suggested the Joker sequel will end with Arthur and Harley getting out of Arkham together, Walsh responded: "Not quite."
We're intrigued to see where this goes, and even more curious how Bruce Wayne will factor into the story Phillips is telling. His parents were murdered by someone dressed like a clown, and depending on how much time has passed, we can't help but wonder if Batman will be teased here in some capacity.
Joker: Folie à Deux is set to be released in theaters on October 4, 2024, exactly five years after Joker debuted.