Batgirl's cancellation has resulted in a lot of negative headlines for Warner Bros. over the past couple of days, and if we were cynical, we'd say they're trying to distract us with these Joker: Folie à Deux announcements.
Regardless, singer and actor Lady Gaga has now confirmed that she will star opposite Joaquin Phoenix with a teaser offering a small taste of what's to come in the musical follow-up. We recently learned that the majority of Todd Phillips' sequel will take place in Arkham Asylum, and the assumption is that the musical elements will be in Joker's demented mind.
It's a fun premise, but not one we anticipate laying the groundwork for a showdown with Batman!
As for Lady Gaga's character, while we do see her silhouette here, your guess is as good as ours when it comes to who she's playing. Common sense says we're getting a new take on Harley Quinn, with the heart on her cheek when the two characters dance together being our biggest indication that is indeed the case.
Back in 2019, Joker became the first R-Rated movie to gross over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. It also earned 12 Oscar nominations, so don't bank on Phillips suddenly changing tact and embracing the comics here. That's not a bad thing, of course, as the first chapter was a great movie that delivered a refreshing take on the Clown Prince of Crime.
We also anticipate seeing the Dark Knight square off with The Joker in The Batman 2, where the iconic villain will be played by Eternals star Barry Keoghan.
Joker: Folie à Deux is set to be released in theaters on October 4, 2024, exactly five years after Joker debuted. Hopefully, we'll have more details to share with you soon, but for now, check out this intriguing first teaser below: