Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga have a new Joker: Folie À Deux co-star as Harry Potter alum Brendan Gleeson joins the cast. The future of DC Films is in the midst of a re-evaluation after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger. While the future of the DC Extended Universe is still being decided, one move that has been made is greenlighting Joker 2. The sequel to 2019's Oscar-winning comic book movie started development shortly after the first film began surpassing box office expectations on its path to making over $1 billion worldwide.
Writer and director Todd Phillips spent the last few years working on a script for Joker 2 that had a strong enough hook to convince Joaquin Phoenix to return as Arthur Fleck. Once Warner Bros. gave the DC movie an official green light to happen, it was revealed that Lady Gaga joined the cast as Harley Quinn. News of Harley Quinn in Joker 2 supported early theories about what the title meant, and Lady Gaga's casting came alongside reports that the sequel would heavily incorporate musical elements. The movie has since continued to make substantial progress ahead of an October 2024 release date.
The Joker 2 cast has now expanded to add Gleeson opposite Phoenix and Lady Gaga according to Deadline. Gleeson is well-known for playing Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody in the Harry Potter franchise. He has also delivered memorable performances in In Bruges, Paddington 2, and The Tragedy of Macbeth. There is no word on who Gleeson's Joker 2 character is, but Deadline reporter Justin Kroll mentioned on Twitter that the warden or a security guard at Arkham State Hospital is possible. Production is scheduled to begin in December.
Casting Gleeson for Joker 2 officially gives the movie four cast members. Phoenix and Lady Gaga are headlining the highly-anticipated sequel, but it has also been confirmed that Zazie Beetz is returning as Sophie Dumond, Arthur's former neighbor (and possible love interest). It appears that Gleeson will take on an original character created for the movie instead of someone known from the comics.
With so few story details known for Joker 2, the cast and knowing what the first movie delivered is driving excitement for the sequel. The first Joker movie featured an incredible ensemble cast that included Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Shea Whigham, Bill Camp, and Brett Cullen as Thomas Wayne. There might only be four cast members confirmed for Joker: Folie À Deux so far, but each new addition indicates that another talented group is joining forces for the sequel.
Source: Deadline
