Fans have waited several years for a sequel to Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character, to come to fruition. Now that it’s finally happening – with Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn this time around – Joker fans are passing around an all-new Joker 2 theory.
Warner Bros. Discovery recently unveiled the all-new trailer for the film, titled Joker: Folie à Deux, which reveals a storyline that will combine Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker with Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn. However, while Harley Quinn is traditionally known as former psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel, fans believe she might have an entirely different identity for the new iteration.
Of course, it isn’t much of a stretch to assume that Gaga’s Harley Quinn will have many different characteristics than her predecessors. After all, we’ve seen Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker turn out to be a much more different interpretation of the iconic comic book villain than fans are used to. According to this theory, however, Harley Quinn would be an even more unexpected take than Joker had to offer in 2019.
Obviously Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, otherwise known as Arthur Fleck, is a rather disturbed individual. This was cemented by the end of the first Joker, which reveals just how fragmented and untrustworthy his own sanity has become. It would make sense, then, that Harley Quinn is another reflection of that. Especially given the subtitle of the film literally translates to “Madness for Two.”
This could mean that Arthur Fleck is interpreting Harley Quinn to be the way we see in the trailer. Perhaps she really is a good-natured doctor that Fleck has interpreted as a fellow villain. Otherwise, she could very well be a figment of his own imagination. A creation designed to cope with the new world he’s found himself in. This would definitely explain the musical set pieces featured throughout the film.
Ultimately, we’ll have to see what’s in store for these characters in Joker: Folie à Deux. In the meantime, though, these discussions certainly suggest that fans are going to be in for another wild time. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates as we have them.