‘Joker’ Sequel Confirmed To Be In Production With Todd Phillips Returning As Writer

The critically acclaimed 2019 comic book movie Joker will get a sequel with the director of the first film Todd Phillips returning to serve as a writer. It remains to be seen if he will also serve as director for the untitled sequel as well. Joaquin Phoenix, who portrayed the title character in the film, has not yet been confirmed to be returning for the sequel, but is likely to star in the title role again. The concept of a sequel to Joker had been around since the film’s initial release. Phillips confirmed that a sequel had been in development back in November 2019. It was eventually confirmed on May 5 that a sequel was planned before finally being confirmed to be in production weeks later.

Joker was a massive success upon its original release, becoming the first DC movie to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2019 and the second comic book film to be nominated in that category following Marvel’s Black Panther directed by Ryan Coogler. Phoenix also won the Academy Award that year for Best Actor and is the second actor to win an Oscar for a performance in a comic book movie, following the late Heath Ledger, who posthumously won the award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the Joker in the 2008 superhero drama movie The Dark Knight directed by Christopher Nolan.

The reaction to a sequel being announced has proven to be divisive among the fans, as while many of them are excited to see the character of Arthur Fleck’s story continue as he develops into the iconic supervillain even further, many fans believe that the story ended perfectly at the end of the first movie and continuing it would make it feel rather cheap as the official origin tale had already been told.

The untitled sequel to Joker is expected to be released sometime next year or possibly even later if COVID-19 restrictions still somehow persist.