Warner Bros. shared the first look at Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn in the upcoming Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux. Gaga will play a different version of the character, previously played by Margot Robbie in the two Suicide Squad movies and Birds of Prey. Joaquin Phoenix is returning to reprise his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck/Joker.
The photo shows Gaga in character, but before she becomes Harley Quinn. Director Todd Phillips posted the picture on his Instagram page, simply writing, “Happy Valentine’s Day.” Gaga shared the photo as well, adding the Joker movie’s subtitle in the caption.
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The character was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for Batman: The Animated Series as a member of the Joker’s backup team. She was originally set to only be in one episode, but they decided to give her the name Harley Quinn and developed a whole backstory. She was Dr. Harleen Quinzel, an Arkham Asylum psychiatrist who fell in love with the Joker.
Over the years, the character has become one of the most popular in the DC Comics stable and became friends with Poison Ivy. In the comics and the Harley Quinn animated series, Harley is in a romantic relationship with Ivy. Arleen Sorkin voiced Harley in Batman: The Animated Series, while Kaley Cuoco voices her in the HBO Max series. Robbie’s version debuted in Suicide Squad (2016), then she played the character in Birds of Prey (2020) and The Suicide Squad (2021). Robbie’s take on Harley was loosely inspired by the popular comics written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti.
The first Joker film hit theaters in 2019 and was initially intended as a standalone, R-rated take on the Batman villain. It became the first R-rated movie ever to reach $1 billion at the global box office and won Phoenix an Oscar for Best Actor. Due to the film’s success, Phillips and Phoenix agreed to make a sequel, which will be a musical. Phillips wrote the script with Scott Silver. Zazie Beetz will return as Sophie Dumond. Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lawtey also star. Joker: Folie à Deux will hit theaters on Oct. 4, 2024.
Joker and its sequel will exist outside the new DC Comics movie universe being set up by DC Studios chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran. Matt Reeves’ The Batman and its sequel will also continue on their own tracks. These projects will be marketed under a new “Elseworlds” banner, which takes its name from DC’s stories set outside continuity.
