Joker 2 director confirms big changes to Harley Quinn, and fans are divided
Warner Bros. PicturesThe upcoming Joker 2 film is going to bring a brand-new version of Harley Quinn to the big screen, but it may be even more radically different than fans are expecting.
Joker: Folie a Deux director Todd Phillip sat down for a lengthy interview with Variety, discussing the upcoming Joker sequel and how it plays out.
However, one of the more notable comments from their chat focused on how the film will approach Harley Quinn, played by Lady Gaga. According to Phillips, they took a unique approach to the iconic DC character, similar to how Phoenix’s Joker is unique from any other version we’ve seen of the Clown Prince of Crime.
“The high voice, that accent, the gum-chewing and all that sort of sassy stuff that’s in the comics, we stripped that away,” Phillips tells Variety. “We wanted her to fit into this world of Gotham that we created from the first movie.”
Fans are a little mixed on this, as one would expect. For most, it’s a slap in the face of the original Harley Quinn, a beloved character and one of the few to make the jump in earnest across multiple forms of media.
Harley originally debuted as a supporting character in Batman: The Animated Series, created so that The Joker wouldn’t just have an array of nameless goons. But her popularity exploded, and she transitioned to being a comic book star by the end of the decade.
Since then, she’s appeared in other animated series, video games, and movies, and has become a juggernaut almost as massive as the Joker himself. But Joker 2 will see a wholly unique take on the character, which already has fans calling her “not Harley Quinn.”
But just as many are excited to see what Lady Gaga does in the role. She’s proven to be a powerhouse actress with roles like A Star is Born, and the jukebox musical stylings of Joker: Folie a Deux offer a chance for something unique.
Joker: Folie a Deux is in theaters on October 4, 2024. Until then, read all about the chances of a Joker 3, why Arthur Fleck will never really become The Joker or the rising Deadpool & Wolverine box office that shattered Joker’s record.