Harley Quinn has a new origin story in Joker: Folie à Deux, where she is a patient at Arkham State Hospital, different from her traditional story as the Joker's therapist. The trailer confirms that Harley Quinn is a patient at the hospital, where she meets Joker. The storyline involves Joker's trial for murder, with Harley playing a crucial role in his fate. Meanwhile, the relationship between Joker and Harley seems healthy, without the traditional manipulation of their feelings. The movie tackles the unique dynamic between the two characters in a way that could lead to tragic consequences.
Summary
Harley Quinn has a new origin story in Joker: Folie à Deux: she is a patient at Arkham State Hospital. Harley's new story reverses her traditional origin story, where she begins as the Joker's therapist at Arkham. The fact that Joker and Harley are patients at Arkham apparently removes Joker's manipulative tactics to make Harley fall in love with him.
The first full trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux confirms that Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn is getting a very different origin story from all the other versions of the DC character. Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie à Deux brings Joaquin Phoenix back as Arthur Fleck alongside Joker's new partner in crime, Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn. Together, Joker and Harley Quinn seem to be a ticking time bomb for Gotham, as Joker's influence in the city has made him a controversial public figure with many loyal followers and supporters, and Harley Quinn is one passion away from becoming another Joker.
Todd Phillips' Joker made major changes to the titular character, including his sympathetic backstory and the absence of Batman in the villain's criminal origin. In the Joker's ultra-realistic universe, vigilantes and supervillains seem non-existent, and only a few familiar DC figures are easy to identify, albeit with several changes to help them fit into this continuity - among them, Thomas and Bruce Wayne, who serve as a representation of Gotham's elite. Likewise, Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn is presented with several important changes, especially in relation to her origin story.
Harley Quinn is not Arthur Fleck's doctor in Joker: Folie À Deux, but another patient
Joker: the first trailer for Folie À Deux confirms that Harley Quinn is a patient at Arkham State Hospital
After a long wait, the first trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux reveals how Joker meets Harley Quinn in Todd Phillips' DC Elseworlds universe. Unlike all previous iterations of the Joker's first love, Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn is introduced as a patient at Arkham State Hospital. In the first scenes of the trailer, Arthur Fleck and Harley Quinn exchange a quick glance as Fleck is escorted out of his cell and Harley takes part in a group singing lesson. Following the sequence of events suggested by the movie, Harley lets Joker know how much she admires him, which makes him fall in love.
As the trailer suggests, Joker is put on trial for the murder of Murray Franklin and the insurrection he unleashed on Gotham City. However, Joker's romantic relationship with his fellow patient improves his behavior at Arkham State Hospital, which may allow him to be reconsidered for release and possibly have his legal charges dropped in court. This process appears to be a televised event for the whole of Gotham, as a crowd gathers to support the Joker, and Harley Quinn apparently arrives as a witness. Also following the narrative of the trailer, Harley may play a key role in the Joker's new-found freedom.
Together, Joker and Harley seem to amplify each other's instability, which can only end in chaos for them and tragedy for others.
In addition to Harley Quinn's role in the Joker's redemption, it's clear that she also exacerbates his altered perception of reality. After all, the literal meaning of the title of Joker: Folie à Deux is "madness for two", and the trailer confirms that Harley admires Joker's questionable actions. It seems that Harley infects Joker with her passion for music, and Joker motivates Harley to unleash her darkest desires. Together, Joker and Harley seem to magnify each other's instability, which can only end in chaos for them and tragedy for others. In this sense, the Joker's negative influence on Harley is faithful to Harley's traditional origin story.
How the origin of Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn differs from other versions
Joker: Folie À Deux reverses Harley Quinn's original relationship with the Joker
Harley Quinn was an original creation by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, designed specifically for Batman: The Animated Series. Therefore, Harley's introduction in the 1992 episode "Joker's Favor" is the original source for all subsequent versions of the character. Shortly after the premiere of Harley's animated series, Timm and Dini collaborated on the comic The Batman Adventures: Mad Love, which revealed Harley's origin: clinical psychologist Harleen Frances Quinzel falls in love with her patient, Joker, who recruits her as his right-hand ally and pulls her into a life of crime.
Harley Quinn was based on actress Arleen Sorkin, the first actress to voice the character in Batman: The Animated Series.
Each subsequent iteration of Harley Quinn was inspired by Batman: The Animated Series. DC Comics expanded Harley Quinn's story, with her training as a gymnast and a thriving career in criminal psychology. The comics also highlighted Harleen Quinzel's rebirth as Harley Quinn through a chemical bath in the same Ace Chemical factory where Joker created his evil personality. After Batman: The Animated Series and DC Comics' Harley iterations achieved huge popularity, Margot Robbie's DCEU Harley Quinn covered all these points accurately, and the Harley Quinn animated program used it as the basis for the protagonist's backstory.
Harley's infatuation with the Joker after meeting him in Arkham is not very different from his original introduction.
The introduction of Harley Quinn as an Arkham patient is a major departure from the original material. However, Harley's infatuation with Joker after meeting him in Arkham is not too dissimilar to her original introduction. Lady Gaga's unique Harley Quinn also fits perfectly into this continuity, as the Joker himself is a unique version of the iconic DC villain. Just as the name "Arthur Fleck" and his dream of being a comedian are original creations for the 2019 Joker, the changes from Joker: Folie à Deux to Harley Quinn help the Joker's lover look more like him.
The origin of Joker 2's Harley Quinn avoids some of the problematic aspects of their relationship
Harley Quinn's new origin story avoids a problematic part of the Joker's history
Another important part of Harley Quinn and the Joker's 30-year history is their troubled relationship. Most, if not all, versions of the Joker have treated Harley as a pawn, despite her genuine feelings for him, and her affection has gone unrequited. For this reason, Harley Quinn gained independence from the Joker, and her quest to leave him behind became a central part of her story. In the DCEU, Birds of Prey follows Harley Quinn's post-separation journey, and the Harley Quinn animated series revolves around Harley's own adventures as she climbs alone in the hierarchy of Gotham's supervillains.
It is not yet known whether Joaquin Phoenix's Joker becomes abusive towards Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux. However, Joker's manipulation of Harley Quinn's feelings during her therapy sessions is not part of her story in Todd Phillips' Joker sequel, and it seems that Joker and Harley's relationship is healthy, at least with each other. The absence of Joker and Harley Quinn's traditional power imbalance opens the door to a true criminal duo in Joker: Folie à Deux, although this doesn't mean that such a close relationship will result in a happy ending.
Director Todd Phillips
Writers Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
Release date October 4, 2024
Main release dates