Credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. DiscoveryWhether it’s The Flash (2023) trailer, news about Colin Farrell’s upcoming Penguin series, or speculation about who will don the cape and cowl The Brave and the Bold (TBA), it’s fair to say that Batman has been hogging the limelight lately. But now, it looks like it’s the Clown Prince of Gotham’s time to shine, as Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) is officially underway.
Director Todd Phillips returns to the helm the highly-anticipated follow up to the critically-acclaimed box office hit, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a man whose descent into madness sees him becoming Gotham City’s most nefarious criminal, Joker.
Related: All 7 Live-Action Jokers Ranked From Worst to Best
While Phillips and Phoenix were quick to squash any rumors of a sequel at the time of the film’s release in 2019, the pair surprised everyone last year when they announced that a sequel to Joker was actually happening.
Not everyone is happy, of course, firstly because Joker is an excellent stand-alone film that still doesn’t need a sequel in any way, shape, or form. Secondly, it has since been confirmed that Joker: Folie à Deux will, er, be a musical. Yes, you read that right.
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We’re yet to find out exactly how this will play out in the film, however, most fans are theorizing that the musical numbers will more than likely to be a figment of Arthur’s imagination, which is a plot device the 2019 film does explore to some extent.
What we do know is that the film will introduce the Joker universe’s very own version of Harley Quinn, this time played by world-famous pop singer and actress Lady Gaga. An image of the pair getting up, close, and personal was shared earlier this year.
Related: 7 Actresses Who Could Play the Female Joker
Now, a brand-new set video from the upcoming sequel has surfaced online, courtesy of Twitter user @ThwipT_.
Check it out below:
Joker being chased by two past versions of himself?
Joker being chased by two past versions of himself? 👀 pic.twitter.com/744vT5XdGZ
— ThwipT (@ThwipT_) March 5, 2023
Related: Director Offers First Look at New Character In New Image From ‘Joker’ Sequel
As you can see, the footage shows not one, not two, but three versions of Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck/Joker, with one — presumably the main version — being pursued by the other two, with one wearing Arthur’s regular clothes, and the other in his iconic ketchup-red-and-mustard-yellow outfit. But what exactly is going on in this footage?!
Well, one possibility we can quickly put to bed is that Joker: Folie à Deux will tamper with the DC Multiverse, because DC Studios’ co-CEO James Gunn already confirmed earlier this year that stand-alone films like Joker and The Batman (2022) form part of the DC’s Elseworlds, while films such as The Flash, which will feature multiple versions of Bruce Wayne/Batman, exist within the main DC Universe timeline.
Related: ‘Joker’ Actor Will Never Work With James Cameron, Reveals “Ridiculous” Standards
It’s more than likely that this scene is actually taking place in Arthur’s mind, and that he’s imagining other versions of himself. Either way, even without the DC Multiverse at its disposal, Folie à Deux could be Joker’s answer to The Flash, and that Arthur’s limitless imagination could be a “DC Multiverse” in its own right…
Joker: Folie à Deux releases in theaters on October 4, 2024.
The Batman Part II will be released on October 3, 2025. There is currently no release date for Batman reboot The Brave and the Bold.
Are you excited about the new Joker film, or do you think they should have left it alone? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!