Despite
reliable sources claiming that Warner Bros. and Todd Phillips had entered talks to move forward with a sequel to
Joker, the director himself seemed to play down the report, and we've had no updates since.
The movie did make over $1 billion at the box office, which would usually guarantee a follow-up. Add its 11 Academy Award nominations and Joaquin Phoenix's Best Actor win to the mix and it must only be a matter of time before we get an official announcement... right?
Well, it sounds like the ball may be in Phillips' court at this point, and if he doesn't want to return, the studio will likely have a difficult time convincing the cast.
JOKER Spoilers: A Detailed Plot Breakdown Of Todd Philips' Controversial Origin Story
MTV caught up with Zazie Beetz at the Oscars last night, and while she seems open to the idea of reprising the role of Sophie Dummond, she's not sure
Joker is a film that necessarily warrants a sequel.
“I don’t know if it needs one,” said Beetz.
“There is a lot of strength in not milking something. Honestly, I feel like Todd would be the person to [make a sequel] tastefully. If he felt it needed one. I really trust him. He’s really creative and smart. So sure.”
Even if another
Joker movie is greenlit, Beetz' character wouldn't really be a vital ingredient. Still, it would all depend on the way Arthur Fleck's story progressed.
What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments, and have a look at 5 ways we think a Joker sequel could play out below.
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Young Bruce Wayne
We'll start with the most obvious one: The Joker actually meets the future Batman in this movie.
As many rightly guessed, that young boy Arthur Fleck is forcing a smile onto in the trailers is indeed Bruce Wayne. Arthur makes his way to Wayne manner after discovering that Thomas Wayne is his real father, and shows the lad a few magic tricks through the gate. Bruce is unimpressed.
Their interaction is brief, but there is definitely a bit of weight and emphasis placed on the scene. Granted, part of that is down to Arthur believing he's meeting his half brother at the time.
A Different Joker
There is a theory doing the rounds that Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck could simply be the inspiration for the
actual Joker, and he'll be the one to face off against The Batman in the future.
It sounds like a stretch, but this movie does actually leave some room for it.
Fleck's actions inspire an uprising in Gotham, with hundreds of citizens rioting throughout the city wearing clown masks. Isn't it possible that one of these people could take up the mantle of Joker a decade or so later, around the same time Bruce Wayne is beginning to feel a little batty?
The Murder Of Thomas And Martha Wayne
Joker leans into Batman mythology heaviest right at the end, when we're presented with a very faithful depiction of the murders of Bruce Wayne's parents.
A thug inspired by Arthur's execution of Murray Franklin live on TV and his assertion that people like Thomas Wayne are to blame for the degradation of the city follows the Waynes into an alley after a screening of Zorro. As he opens fire, he echoes Fleck's "you get what you deserve" from the Franklin killing.
Of course, we're supposed to assume this will eventually bring Bruce to the conclusion that Joker was at least partially responsible for his parents' deaths.
The Ending
The ambiguous ending, or more accurately, epilogue, of Joker is wide open to interpretation, and leaves plenty of room for Warner Bros. to fold the events of Philips' film into a shared universe.
After Arthur leaves Gotham in flames and fully embraces the Joker persona, we cut to him chuckling during a therapy session in Arkham. Is he recounting his story to his therapist, or imagining the whole thing? We know Fleck is an unreliable narrator and made up an entire relationship in his head, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility.
This gives the studio leeway to basically pick and choose what they want to establish as real, and what we are to believe were the delusions of a damaged mind.
That Final Shot Of Bruce
Perhaps most telling is that quick glimpse of Bruce Wayne standing among the bodies of his slain parents.
Arthur never witnessed this event, so why is it burned into his mind? It's possible that he heard about it after, but either way, this still feels like a major bit of foreshadowing, and not something Reeves or the studio would have added to the film at such a specific moment for no reason.
There were probably a few more Easter Eggs and references, but I've only seen the movie once and these are the major ones I picked up on. Did you spot any more? Let us know in the comments down below.