Joker: Folie à Deux is finally here, and Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck, aka the Joker, alongside Lady Gaga as Harley “Lee” Quinzel, have set in motion a series of dramatic events that lead many fans eager for a Joker 3.
Director Todd Phillips has already addressed the possibility of making more Joker movies.
While he seems to suggest that fans shouldn’t hold their breath for a third instalment, this does sound a lot like his previous statement that Joker 2 wouldn’t happen. This time, though, things are a lot more complicated.
The Future of The Joker
For one, Arthur dies at the end of Joker 2, making a third movie highly unlikely. Also, this time Phillips is adamant that the two films are enough.
“It’s not really where this movie is headed for me,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I feel like my time in the DC Universe was these two films.”
This sentiment echoes what he told Variety in August. While he admits he found it fun to play in the sandbox of the first and second films, he believes they have already said what they wanted to say in this world.
However, fans may find it hard to believe Phillips this time after he said the same thing about Joker 2 in 2019.
“We have no plans for a sequel. [I've said], 'I will do anything Joaquin wants to do.' And I would. But the movie's not set up to [have] a sequel. We always pitched it as one movie, and that's it.”
Regardless, fans must understand that from a standalone film, Joker has become a billion-dollar franchise after the huge success of the first movie.
So, though Phillips may have expressed his disinterest in making Joker 3, if fans demand it and the right idea is pitched, it may not be far from happening – or maybe this is wishful thinking.
How Would Joker: Folie à Deux Set up Joker 3?
Joker 2 picks up where the first movie left off, with Arthur becoming a symbol of Gotham’s uprising against its corrupt rulers.
He’s worshipped and adored by the masses and has found loyal followers in Harley Quinn, Ricky (played by Jacob Lofland) and even the Young Inmate (Connor Storrie), who ultimately ends up murdering Arthur.
However, despite his fame and the public image he has built, the Joker's death appears a footnote in the film. After renouncing his Joker persona, Arthur ends up in prison, where he suffers an almost-off-camera death at the hands of the overzealous Young Inmate. The killer then adopts his persona, suggesting the Joker's legacy will carry on in some form.
Arguably, such an ending leaves open the possibility for a sequel, featuring a new Joker to continue the supervillain’s legacy in Gotham. Without Batman to restore justice, it will be exciting to see what unfolds.
Additionally, the explosion in the courtroom may have transformed Harvey Dent into another iconic Batman villain, Two-Face.
If this happens, it could provide the character with a different origin story, proving that the franchise has yet to reach its conclusion.