Joker: Folie à Deuxfeatures the exciting tandem of Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga as Lee Quinzel,but it nearly featured another actor playing a version of the titular villain. The sequel, which is not fairing well at the box office norimpressing general audiences, is already living up to the controversial nature of the original film. It seemsJoker: Folie à Deuxhas written a very different legacy for Phoenix’s portrayal of the Batman villain, one that allows for different versions of the Joker.
InJoker: Folie à Deux, it is revealed thata TV movie was created surrounding the events of the first film, featuring Arthur Fleck as played by an actor. A running bit is that Lee Quinzel (Gaga) praises the TV movie and uses it as a way to get Arthur to put on the moniker again. However, other characters in the film point out that the film wasn’t very good. During an interview withIGN,Joker: Folie à Deuxdirector Todd Phillips went in-depth on the already controversial supervillain sequel, revealing thatJustin Theroux would have played the TV movie version of the Joker if they got the chance to do a trailer for it.
Well, Justin Theroux of course. In fact, I talked to Justin about it. We were going to shoot a trailer at one point. We just ran out of time. Yes, ‘Ethan Chase,’ the actor from the first movie.
Eagle-eyed fans ofJokerknow the 2019 film already sneakily featured Theroux in a brief cameo.The actor can be seen on Arthur’s television screen while watching TheMurrayFranklinShow, who goes by Ethan Chase. Funny enough, Todd Phillips borrowed the name of Zach Galifianakis' character inDue Date, which he also directed. Unfortunately,Joker: Folie à Deuxcould not include a trailer featuring Theroux’s interpretation of Joker, but it’s safe to say there are a lot of other things that concern the troubled sequel.
Joker 2 is Facing an Uphill Battle on All Sides
Joker: Folie à Deuxhas not been a clear winner like the first film, which grossed over $1 billion at the box office in 2019. The R-rated sequel added Lady Gaga to the mix as Harley Quinn, an exciting move that coincided withFolie à Deuxbeing part-musical(just don’t call it that in front of the cast and crew).However, the result has been disastrously underwhelming for both fans ofJokerand the filmmakers behind the big-budget sequel. Despite coming out the same year asMadame Web,Folie à Deuxis the worst-ever rated superhero-related movie witha D CinemaScore, a historically friendly meter strictly based on theater audience response. Witha mediocre opening weekendthat compares to the year’s worst films, it’s clear that the controversial nature ofFolie à Deuxhas doomed it from the start.
Joker: Folie à Deux’s Failure Highlights Sexist Double Standard in Comic Book Movies
The reaction to Joker: Folie à Deux bombing at the box office compared to The Marvels highlights a double standard fans of the genre have.
Joker: Folie à Deuxis not exactly what audiences expected from the acclaimed original film,but that doesn’t mean there is nothing of value in Todd Phillips' follow-up. Phoenix still gives a great performance, while Gaga impresses as an alternate version of Harley Quinn. The film was also very clearlyuntouched by studio heads, meaning creative freedom was abundant in the high-priced production, for better or worse. There is a future in whichFolie à Deuxfinds a cult following and is reevaluated as a sequel ahead of its time. That said, it may prove too difficult, as theending is especially jarringfor those who expected theJokersequel to double down on Arthur Fleck being the definitive Clown Prince of Crime in his universe.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips' critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker’s lover Harley Quinn in this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
