Joker 2 Reportedly Still In Development

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Joker 2 is still in development, according to a new report. Directed and produced by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver, Joker quickly became a hit when it premiered in October 2019. The film, based on DC Comics characters, starred Joaquin Phoenix in the title role and provides an alternative origin story for Batman’s most notorious antagonist. The film grossed over a billion dollars at the box office and won numerous accolades, including winning Phoenix an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Given its success, many have expected a sequel. And although Phillips has said that he’s discussed Joker 2 with Warner Bros. and that it remained a possibility, nothing official has been revealed. But now, there’s an indication that a follow-up remains in the works.

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A new report from THR indicates that Joker 2 is still in development. While the report mainly discusses WB’s process for the Black Superman movie, there is a mention of “Joker and its planned sequel.” The wording suggests that the studio is still counting on the sequel to the massively successful 2019 film.

Although it was intended as a standalone movie with no second installments, Joker notably leaves the door wide open for a sequel. The first film ends with Arthur at Arkham State Hospital, seemingly escaping from a therapy session and leaving bloody footprints in his wake. Even more notably, Joker makes a point of including a scene between Arthur and a young Bruce Wayne. Later in the film, as chaos takes over the city, audiences are treated to another iteration of Batman’s beginnings as his parents are shot and killed in an alley by a rioter. There’s also Arthur’s fixation with Sophie (Zazie Beetz), a thread which could be expanded upon in a potential Joker 2. For as much as it told a self-contained narrative, the adaptation left just enough for future installments.

Still, for those who enjoyed Phillips’ dark origin story, there are concerns that a sequel would inevitably lose sight of what made Joker special. It was the rare big studio comic book to not concern itself with too much world-building, instead focusing on Arthur’s mindset and his connections to specific characters. A sequel could very well forgo that for a bigger and grander saga that would ultimately be less effective. It’s for the best that nothing official is announced until Phillips, Phoenix, and their collaborators can decide on a continuation that works. For good and ill, the first film made a significant impact and left everyone talking. It’s no question the same level of achievement is desired for Joker 2.