Joker 2 Changes Harley Quinn’s Origin Story (& Makes It Worse)

Joker: Folie Á Deux makes some pretty big changes to Harley Quinn‘s origin story. In the new Todd Phillips movie, Lady Gaga plays the DC Comics favorite and she retains a lot of what people would consider classic Harley Quinn traits. But, this version of Harleen “Lee” Quinzel runs a little bit counter to what fans of the character were probably expecting. For starters, Harley is from the Upper West Side and has a good family background. (This stands in contrast to that working class accent that helped make the villain so popular in Batman: The Animated Series.) In addition, her Psychology degree is only a Masters instead of her being a full doctor. The biggest change from other portrayals of Harley Quinn in other Bat-media is the fact that she makes Arthur Fleck relapse into his Joker persona from the first movie. Traditionally, it’s The Clown Prince of Crime that twists her into a villainous space.

Some fans might Be taking off guard by this wild shift from the classical origin for Harley Quinn. But it’s clear the creative team intended for this to be quite a departure from the other cinematic and television portrayals of the character. Speaking to Empire Magazine, director Todd Phillips and Gaga talked about getting to a new version of Harley Quinn that spoke to this Joker Universe.Yes she’s wearing the black and white and red and there’s a delightful unhinged quality to her performance.But at its core this is something a little different than fans might have been expecting when they walk through those theater doors.Here’s how Phillips describes Gaga’s performance and how she made it her own.

“While there are some things that people would find familiar in her, it’s really Gaga’s own interpretation, and Scott [Silver, co-writer] and I’s interpretation,” Phillips argued. “She became the way how [Charles] Manson had girls that idolised him. The way that sometimes these [imprisoned murderers] have people that look up to them. There are things about Harley in the movie that were taken from the comic books, but we took it and molded it to the way we wanted it to be.”

Lady Gaga Deserves Some Props For Her Performance

Joker: Folie à Deux might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But, Lady Gaga definitely deserves a shout out. DC Studios was banking on the star power of Joaquin Phoenix and the Grammy-winner to help carry this sequel. Joker was really beloved in 2019 and there will be a lot of people sticking up for these performances after seeing the movie. (After all, they are really impressive and the singing is pretty good, all things considered!) Before the movie opened, casting director Francine Maisler was hyping this pairing at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The chemistry is there and Gaga really sparkles in this position. 

“She’s so good in it, you guys. She’s going to blow your mind. I didn’t suggest Lady Gaga. It wasn’t my idea. That was Todd Phillips, before me,” Maisler teased. “But I will tell you, she’s really surprising — and really good. I saw it and I was really surprised. I mean, we all knew what she could do in A Star is Born, but I thought, ‘Oh, well, that’s kind of in her wheelhouse.’ Something she could do and just be real. But this… Man, she’s good. Joaquin blows your mind, but that she could keep up with him, and be real — and not just wiped off the screen by what that role is and what the performance is — shows she’s good.”

Do you like this origin for Harley instead of the classic one? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!