After the acclaimed 2019 DC movie, Joker 2 has some big shoes to fill. Director Todd Philips has already set a new precedent for the upcoming sequel, setting up the thriller film as a musical. Production began in December 2022, and we’ve already seen Joaquin Phoenix’s return as Arthur Fleck, a.k.a. the Joker, and Gaga’s first look as Harley Quinn.

Since then, new images and clips from the set have surfaced online, and while DC Studios or WBD has given no official updates, we have some new material to analyze.

Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn costume is the most important reveal! Yes, we’ve already got our first look at her iteration of Harleen Quinzel. But new photos of Gaga sporting light clown-eye makeup with red lipstick paired with a red leather jacket, black mini-skirt, and checkered black-and-white-corset are circulating. 

Gaga’s costume is a revised look of the classic Harley Quinn costume, a patent look for the villainess in the comics, something Margot Robbie’s character didn’t incorporate. The costume also reflects Arthur’s costume, which he wore on the Murray show in the 2019 film, featuring a coordinated look for the mad lovers.

Another detail evident from the new images is the major change that Joker: Folie á Deux is making to Harley’s story. In the comics and Margot Robbie’s version, Harleen Quinzel was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, and Joker was her patient. 

But the sequel will divert from that narrative, posing Harley as a patient at Arkham, as seen in the image of the Gotham Examiner with the headline “Crazy in Love.” But how did Harleen Frances Quinzel and Joker’s love story make the newspaper’s front page? I have a theory for that too.

According to a video shared by Instagram user ladygaganownet, Arkham Asylum, Gotham’s mental hospital for mentally deranged high-class convicts, is burned down. Of course, the set video doesn’t highlight the perpetrator, but I can bet my Batarang that it was Harley and Joker.

The criminals would have no qualms with setting the prison on fire and harming the lives of the prisoners and the guards or setting other villains free. But there is another theory behind the Arkham fire, so let me get to that.

In the chaos of the last film, which started with Arthur shooting Robert De Niro’s character, riots broke out, and Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered as well. Similar riots have been seen at the sequel’s shooting, where protestors fight for Arthur Fleck’s freedom.

His speech on the Murray Show must have resonated with quite a few who claim that the Joker can save them, which might lead to copycats. The riots demanding his freedom and his eventual escape will only spell danger for Gotham City, which doesn’t have its Batman yet. Considering Bruce Wayne is still a child, and this is the villain’s story we can’t be sure about who will be the saving grace for Gotham City.

Speaking of copycats, a video of Arthur Fleck running in the streets chased by two other Jokers was posted by Twitter user Thwipt. Two versions of the Joker are chasing him.

We know Fleck is unable to tell delusion and reality apart, as evident from the last scene where he was already in Arkham. So, could it be that he is only imagining two past versions of himself chasing him down, a metaphor-turned-literal event where he is running from his past? The madness in the sequel’s title can hold a dual meaning, hinting at the mad love story and the deteriorating mental stability of both our leads.

We’ve reached the last detail that I almost missed. In riot images from Joker 2’s set, among the posters and cardboard signs carried by the protestors, we see a sign held reading, “Harvey Dent is the Clown.” So, this means that we’ll get to see another Batman villain in the upcoming sequel.

Harvey Dent was a successful defense attorney before he became Two-Face, and we might see Arthur Fleck on trial, where we might get a chance to see the other DC villain. Who knows, we might even get to see his transformation since we’re probably missing out on Harley’s.

As production moves along, I’m sure I’ll have more updates about Joker: Folie á Deux for you, so stay tuned to Cine Dope!

About Joker: Folie á Deux

Joker: Folie à Deux is a 2024 American musical psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips from a screenplay co-written with Scott Silver. Loosely based on DC Comics characters, it is the sequel to Joker (2019), and stars Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role as the Joker, with Lady Gaga joining the cast as his love interest Harley Quinn.

Joker: Folie à Deux premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 4, 2024.

Plot: Arthur Fleck is in custody at Arkham Asylum awaiting trial for a series of murders he committed as the Joker two years earlier. In music therapy, Arthur meets fellow patient Lee Quinn, who reveals she was imprisoned after burning down an apartment.

Source: Variety, ComicBook, The Direct, MovieWeb