Director Todd Phillips has confirmed that Joker 2 is underway, and he has even offered a glimpse at the second Joker's title: Joker: Folie à Deux. The original Joker, released in 2019, is widely regarded as one of the greatest comic book movies ever made, and it earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar for Best Actor for his turn as the titular character. Joker was praised for its grounded approach to its source material, offering a sympathetic and deeply disturbing look into an origin story for the iconic Batman villain. As for the sequel, Folie à Deux's meaning sheds a light on what audiences can expect.

Talk of a potential sequel has been rampant since Joker's incredible box office success, and now Joker 2 has been confirmed by Phillips, who also co-wrote the first installment. Literally translated from French to English, Folie à Deux means "madness of two." It is most often used to refer to a delusion or mental illness shared by two people who are usually in close association. Here's what the Folie à Deux title reveals about Joker 2.

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What Joker 2's Title Reveals About The Sequel's Story

Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck in Joker

The reveal of the second Joker's title has implications that are both obvious and ambiguous. The idea of a shared delusion or mental illness feeds directly into the characterization of the Joker, but it could also refer to his relationships with various other DC characters. The most obvious is perhaps Joker's relationship with Batman: many stories draw parallels between the two characters' respective personas taking over their lives as a form of shared madness, which could be Folie à Deux's meaning.

Another possibility is that the title refers to multiple Jokers. Willem Dafoe's Joker sequel idea could potentially facilitate this, and it would also feed directly into the idea that the Joker has no one set origin story within the comics. There's also a chance that the second Joker's title implies the introduction of other DC villains, and that Folie à Deux's meaning simply refers to mental illness in another villain that will team up with — or be pitted against — Phoenix's Joker.

The exact meaning of the second Joker's title is clear: Phoenix's character will share the story with another character living with some form of mental illness. Folie à Deux's meaning — "madness of two" — reveals as much. However, who that character will be is as yet unconfirmed, although it's most likely that Joker 2 will feature other Batman villains. The cryptic Folie à Deux title offers a tantalizing glimpse of what Joker 2's story may entail, even if the film is still a long way off.

Joker 2's Title Probably Refers To Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn

Lady Gaga Harley Quinn Joker 2 Joaquin Phoenix

As the Joker 2 cast has been confirmed to include Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, Joker 2's title is very likely referring to the relationship between Dr. Harleen Quinzel and the Joker — a "madness of two" well-chronicled across comics, live-action, and animated DC movies. Folie à Deux's translation combined with a confirmed Harley Quinn presence implies that Joker 2 will further explore the pair's influence over one another, each feeding the other's delusions in a way that only increases their natural talents for crime

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Joker 2 will most likely delve deeply into the psychology of Harley and Joker's relationship, just as Joker did with Arthur Fleck's transition into the Clown Prince of Crime. There's no doubt that Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn and Phoenix's Arthur Fleck will be forming this relationship in Joker 2. On the other hand, Joker 2's real plot and story remain open to speculation, as the Joker and Harley Quinn setup could be a red herring only meant to keep audiences on their toes. After all, a "madness of two" doesn't just apply to Joker's relationship with Harley, other DC villains, or Batman. There's even a chance that Folie à Deux actually refers to the shared madness between Arthur Fleck and the devotees he inspired in Joker.

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