Written by Kieran Bugg
Joaquin Phoenix might not be finished as the Joker.
Over 80 years since his first appearance in Batman No. 1, the Joker is now recognized as one of the most iconic villains in not just comic books.
Moreover, this isn’t just for comic books but cinema as well.
The Joker’s popularity convinced Warner Bros. to hire Todd Phillips to direct an origin movie centered around the character.
Joaquin Phoenix starred as the Clown Prince of Crime in 2019’s Joker.
Joaquin Phoenix won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance.
However, Joaquin Phoenix is the second actor to win an Oscar for playing the Joker.
Heath Ledger posthumously won the award for his game-changing portrayal of the character in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 The Dark Knight.
According to Phillips, Warner Bros. executives, particularly Toby Emmerich, had no faith in his Joker film.
Image: Warner Bros
Furthermore, they even apparently attempted to prevent its release.
Nevertheless, the movie was released regardless of the studio’s skepticism.
It was a global hit, bringing in over $1 billion.
In addition, Joker became the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time.
Multiple outlets reported that Phillips was in negotiations with Warner Bros. to make a second film.
Joaquin Phoenix was set to reprise the role.
As of this writing, Warner Bros. hasn’t provided an update regarding a sequel.
During a recent interview, Joaquin Phoenix expressed his interest in reprising the role but is unsure if a sequel will ever happen.
Joaquin Phoenix Open to Joker Sequel
Joaquin Phoenix recalled:
From when we were shooting, we started to you know, uhh, this is an interesting guy. There are some things we could do with this guy and could explore further. But as to whether we actually will? I don’t know.
While this might seem to be a confirmation that a sequel isn’t happening, it’s not completely off the table.
Joaquin Phoenix could be playing coy as most actors involved with comic-book movies signed NDAs (non-disclosure agreements).
On June 10, 2021, Geekosity leaked that the sequel could be inspired by the Batman: Three Jokers comic book.
Joker 2 is inevitable. Warner Bros. will not kill a billion-dollar franchise.
But Joaquin Phoenix’s participation is necessary.
Judging from his comments, he’s onboard when it moves forward.
Related: Jared Leto’s Joker Could Face Ben Affleck in Killing Joke Adaptation for HBO Max
