Joker: Folie a Deux - Everything We Know

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Griff Griffin | Last updated 2/22/24

Joker 2, or Joker: Folie a Deux as it’s known, is still shrouded in mystery.

The latest Joker 2 update shows off new images of Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in action, but plot details are thin on the ground.

Warner Bros.’ sequel to the 2019 supervillain origin story starring Joaquin Phoenix releases later this year. But what’s the story? Will Bruce Wayne be in it? And what does ‘Folie a Deux’ actually mean?

Here’s everything we know about Joker: Folie a Deux

What’s it about?

A direct follow-up to Joker, this film picks up where its predecessor left off: with Joker/Arthur Fleck locked in a mental asylum having sparked a riot in the streets of New York.

While we’ve not been given a full synopsis, we do know at least some part of it will take place in Arkham Asylum, with Joker meeting love interest Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga).

Also, apparently it’ll have musical numbers - yes, Joker: Folie a Deux is a musical.

Is it set in the DC universe?

Joker: Folie a Deux does not belong to James Gunn’s new-look DCU, which soft-launches with 2024 series Creature Commandos before kicking off fully with 2025’s Superman: Legacy.

It’s also not part of the current DCU, which features the likes of Ben Affleck’s Batman and Jason Mamoa’s Aquaman. Instead, it belongs to DC’s Elseworlds brand, which houses standalone projects set in the DC Universe (2022’s The Batman is also an Elseworlds film, but unconnected to Joker: Folie a Deux).

Who’s in it?

Phoenix is back in the lead role. After winning the Oscar for Best Male Performance in Joker, his salary for the sequel is reportedly $20 million, compared with $4 million for the original.

Lady Gaga debuts as Harley Quinn, the Arkham Asylum nurse who falls for Fleck and embarks on a crime spree, while Zazie Beetz’s Sophie returns. Her character had a relationship with Fleck that took place almost entirely inside Fleck’s head.

Jacob Lofland (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials) is reportedly playing an inmate from Arkham Asylum. Catherine Keener, and Brenden Gleeson have also signed on in undisclosed roles.

What does the Joker 2 title mean?

Folie a Deux translates to ‘madness of two’. More specifically, it refers to ‘shared psychosis’ in which two people experience a delusion. This links back to Fleck and Quinn’s toxic relationship that will form the backbone of the film.