Arthur Fleck returns in "Joker: Folie à Deux" with a new cast, including Joaquin Phoenix returning as the Joker and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. The film, sequel to the 2019 hit "Joker", grossed over US$1 billion. The plot follows Fleck inspiring an uprising in Gotham City. Phoenix has a distinguished career, including roles in "Gladiator" and "Her". Lady Gaga made her debut in "Machete Kills". Zazie Beetz also reprises her role in the film. The supporting cast includes Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Jacob Lofland. The film promises to reveal more about the relationship between the Joker and Harley Quinn.
Summary
Arthur Fleck will return in Joker: Folie à Deux with a new ensemble in the sequel to the successful 2019 Joker movie. Phoenix reprises his role as the Joker, along with newcomer Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. Supporting cast members include Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Jacob Lofland in unknown roles in the new film.
Arthur Fleck will return in Joker: Folie à Deux, and will bring with him a whole new set. Todd Phillips' 2019 film, Joker, became one of the biggest films of 2019, grossing over US$ 1 billion worldwide, with Phoenix's performance as Fleck being particularly well received. It's certainly a non-traditional DC movie, with a lack of superheroes, but it clearly touched audiences.
Joker tells the story of professional clown for hire Arthur Fleck, taking potshots at and inspiring a revolt by Gotham City's downtrodden against the city's elite. On the other hand, apart from the movie being a musical in the style of A Star is Born, the story of Joker: Folie à Deux has a lot that is still under wraps - although the trailer for Joker 2 seems to have answered questions about how much of the original was real and how much time has passed by revealing a not-yet-aged Arthur Fleck inspired "Free Joker" protests. However, these revelations only make the cast of Joker: Folie à Deux even more interesting.
Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, also known as the Joker
An informed view of the clown prince of crime
Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as Arthur Fleck, also known as the Joker in Joker: Folie à Deux. Phoenix's early credits as a child actor include Kids Don't Tell and Space Camp. Phoenix later became an adult with his portrayal of Commodus in Ridley Scott's Gladiator and Merrill Hess in M. Night Shyamalan's Signs, later appearing as Lucius Hunt in Shyamalan's sequel, The Village.
Some of Joaquin Phoenix's other notable roles include Theodore Twombly in Her, Jesus in 2018's Mary Magdalene and Napoleon Bonaparte in Ridley Scott's 2023 film Napoleon. With the vague nature of the Joker's ending, Phoenix's return as Arthur Fleck provides some answers to the original film's questions. However, the Joker 2 trailer also makes it clear that the sequel will raise many new questions, with the DC character shown running away from others in Joker face paint, seemingly establishing that he will escape from Arkham in the sequel, unless this is another illusion.
Lady Gaga as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, also known as Harley Quinn
Joker gets a partner
Pop star Stefani Germanotta, Lady Gaga, plays Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux. Gaga made her film debut in 2013's Machete Kills and later played Bertha in 2014's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. Gaga also played Ally Maine in Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, A Star is Born, for which she received an Oscar nomination for her performance, and won the award for Best Original Song for "Shallow". In addition, Gaga also played Patrizia Reggiani in Ridley Scott's 2021 film House of Gucci, while she also provided the song "Hold My Hand" for the 2022 mega-hit Top Gun: Maverick.
The Joker 2 trailer seems to establish that Gaga's Harley Quinn was part of the protests that took place when Arthur Fleck was admitted to Arkham State Hospital, and that she may also end up in the facility after her own arrest. This changes the dynamic between the two considerably, especially as the trailer also suggests that the title "Folie à Deux" - referring to a shared delirium - is a reference to Harley also having similar breaks with reality as Arthur, which could also explain the film's musical element.
Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond
The subject of Arthur's hallucinations
Zazie Beetz also returns in Joker: Folie à Deux, reprising her role as Arthur Fleck's neighbor Sophie Dumond from Joker. Beetz got her start in the film industry in 2015, with appearances in the films James White and Applesauce. She later appeared in films such as Geostorm and Dead Pigs, and landed her breakthrough role as Wade Wilson's luck-manipulating ally Neena Thurman, aka Domino, in 2018's Deadpool 2.
Beetz has also made numerous television appearances, including as Vanessa "Van" Kiefer in Atlanta, as well as voice-overs in Robot Chicken and Invincible. In addition, Beetz also played the assassin known as The Hornet in David Leitch's action comedy Bullet Train 2022. Given that much of Dumond's time in Joker is imagined, it is unclear what his role will be in Joker: Folie à Deux.
Supporting cast
At the moment, it is not known what roles most of the supporting cast will play in Joker: Folie à Deux.
Related: Joker 2's huge budget is a big gamble, despite the original's US $ 1 billion box office success. With Joker: Folie à Deux hitting theaters this fall, a new report from DC on the Elseworlds sequel reveals a massive increase in its budget.
Brendan Gleeson - Gleeson is best known for playing Hamish Campbell in 1995's Braveheart, as well as Alastair "Mad Eye" Moody in the Harry Potter film series. Some of his other major credits include Lake Placid, Mission: Impossible 2, 28 Days Later, The Village, Edge of Tomorrow, Live By Night and Assassin's Creed,
Catherine Keener - Keener is best known for her performance as Harper Lee in Capote and Missy Armitage in Jordan Peele's directorial debut, Get Out. Her other film credits include The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Captain Phillips, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Incredibles 2, and the television series Kidding.
Jacob Lofland - Lofland made his film debut in 2012's Mud and is best known for playing Aris in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and Maze Runner: The Death Cure. He has also appeared in films such as Free State of Jones and A House on the Bayou, as well as the television shows Justified, Texas Rising and The Son.
Harry Lawtey - Lawtey first appeared in the British television series Wizards vs Aliens and in other shows such as Marcella and You & Me. Lawtey has also appeared in films such as City of Tiny Lights, Benediction and Netflix's The Pale Blue Eye.
George Carroll - Carroll first appeared as Bubba in Ben Affleck's directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone, and later worked with Affleck again in The Town. He has also appeared in films such as Central Intelligence, Wheelman and Little Dixie.
Gattlin Griffith - Joker: Folie à Deux marks the return to DC of Gattlin Griffith, who previously played the young Hal Jordan in 2011's Green Lantern. Gattlin has appeared in several TV shows, such as Supernatural, How I Met Your Mother and Star Trek Picard. Most recently, he played Young Gunpowder in Amazon's The Boys.
Troy Metcalf - Metcalf's early film roles include an uncredited appearance as Blue Collar Guy in Spider-Man 2 and shows such as Rita Rocks and The Middle. He has also appeared in shows such as The Hyperions and Babylon.
Sam Wren Vincent - Vincent is a relatively new face in the film industry, with her credits including 2023's Frost and an uncredited appearance in The Marvelous Mrs. Vincent. She will also be seen as Kara in Solitude and Jo in Bazooka.
Alfred Rubin Thompson - Thompson has appeared in TV shows such as Sons of Anarchy, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family and Ratched. Thompson has also been seen in movies such as Deserted and Tell Her.
Mike Houston as the Guard - Houston has been seen in films such as Jack Reacher: Shadow Recruit and Bridge of Spies, and in TV shows such as Flesh and Bone, Jessica Jones and Orange is the New Black as Co Lee Dixon.
Jimmy Smagula as the guard - Smagula has appeared in TV shows such as The Sopranos, Grey's Anatomy, Brooklyn 99 and Community.
Anthony Gullota as Riot Cop - Gullota makes an uncredited appearance in Joker: Folie à Deux, and has also appeared in shows such as Bridge and Tunnel and The Marvelous Ms. Gullota.
Main release dates