Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker Sequel Gets Disappointing Update

While The Batman opened in theaters earlier this month and fans of that film are already wondering when they can expect a sequel to Matt Reeves’ film, there’s another major DC film whose sequel is already in the works. It was previously reported that a sequel to Todd Phillips’ 2019 hit film Joker was in development at Warner Bros., but a new report indicates that a follow-up to the Joaquin Phoenix-starring film has hit a snag.

According to The Ankler (via The Direct), work on the script for Joker 2 has slowed. Per the report, it’s not clear what the issue is, but Phillips, who is also writing the film, has not yet turned in a draft of the sequel. With filming rumored to start as soon as early 2023, the current reported delay may not have much of an impact at all film production — but that could change if the delay goes on too long.

Phillips’ Joker is a film vastly different than any of Warner Bros. other DC film. The film serves as an origin story for Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck as he descends into madness and transforms into the criminal mastermind that sparks an anarchist revolution that culminates in the deaths of Martha and Thomas Wayne in the early 1980s. The film is set in a different world from other films, including The Batman, which places it in its own cinematic universe of sorts. It’s not expected to have any connection to The Batman.

“I was finishing the Planet of the Apes movies when I first came on board [Batman], in 2017. It’s been five years in the making,” Reeves told Total Film. “When I was working on the script, and got deep into the script, Joker hadn’t come out yet. I didn’t know what Joker was or what it was going to be.” 

“I became aware of [Joker] once we were very deep into [The Batman], and the fact that they were grounding things in a way that was reminiscent of things that we were doing, that wasn’t planned,” Reeves said. “Joker was always meant to be a very specific standalone that Joaquin and Todd were doing. There was never really any discussion of crossover.”

Are you excited for a sequel to Joker? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.