Todd Phillips’ Joker 2 may have found its Harley Quinn in Lady Gaga as a new report indicates the sequel to 2019’s Joker has Warner Bros. reportedly in talks to cast the House of Gucci star. DC fans had a lot to say about the potential casting in the Joaquin Phoenix led franchise and are more intrigued to learn it would be a musical.
Phillips sent the internet on a frenzy last week when the director shared the second instalment’s script with the working title, Joker: Folie à deux. The nature of the title had many speculating it’s a hint to Harley Quinn’s arrival or a Joker imposter and THR’s update all but confirms the clown princess of crime debut in Joker 2. And Gaga’s name attached to the role could seemingly be a brilliant casting or at least according to the fandom. Readers can check out the responses below.
There is a rumor going around that Lady Gaga is Harley Quinn (or female lead) in the Joaquin Phoenix-led Joker sequel. If that's true, that is brilliant casting.
If it's not true, someone make it happen!
— Skyler Shuler (@SkylerShuler) June 13, 2022
JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX being a musical led by Joaquin Phoenix as Joker & Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn is such an intriguing, absurd, & brilliant concept.
Let’s see if they can pull this off in the end but my lord … what a wild, bold, & out of the box strategy.
— Jesabel (@JesabelRaay) June 14, 2022
Streets saying lady gaga will play as harley quinn in joker 2??!!?? uhmm YESSS MAAM!!! she doesn't need to audition cus just look at the material pic.twitter.com/thIZRPgiMI
— 𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗺𝘆~✞ⁿᵐ (@blackLemmynade) June 14, 2022
Lady Gaga is possibly the perfect Harley Quinn casting for the Todd Phillips Joker-verse. #JokerFolieaDeux
— Rahul Puri (@rahulpuri) June 14, 2022
Me: “I don’t want Joker 2”
Warner Brothers: “It’s a musical”
Me: “Two tickets please” pic.twitter.com/A93RKg47EP
— The Moonlight Warrior 🌙 (@BlackMajikMan90) June 14, 2022
the first Joker is some of the emptiest dogshit I’ve ever seen in my life, but the concept of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn hits all the right spots in my brain. if the sequel wasn’t being made by Phillips, I’d be overwhelmingly down for it
— Logan🏳️🌈 (@LoganKenny1) June 14, 2022
Margot Robbie is the perfect Harley Quinn but that’s what great about DC:
We can get multiple great performances of the same character in different ways. With Joker 2 being a musical you already know Lady Gaga is about to crush it!
— Matt Ramos (@therealsupes) June 14, 2022
Deciding to cast Lady Gaga and making Joker 2 a musical in the knowledge it’ll simultaneously win over some of your most cynical critics but make the thousands of dudes who were the biggest worshippers of your first movie furious is such a wild manoeuvre it’s kinda brilliant
— Cal (@wyattyhalpert) June 14, 2022
Lady Gaga’s first day on the set of Joker 2: pic.twitter.com/dE7WqG2BP8
— Gaga Daily (@gagadaily) June 14, 2022
Was Joker a little pointless and boring? Maybe. Will Lady Gaga murdering people in clown makeup fix that? Shit y'know let's try it
— alex james kane (@alexjkane) June 14, 2022
dude, if you don't think joker 2 being a musical with a lady gaga harley quinn isn't a wildly worthwhile swing, i don't know how to help you
— BAILEY (@loverboymedia) June 14, 2022
i was really dismissive of the idea of a joker 2 until like 30 seconds ago when i found out it's gonna be a musical. i take it back. i need to see joker 2 now. i need to see him sing about society https://t.co/0RMMoA3YuX
— world's shittiest clown (@RadMewMew) June 14, 2022
The Academy said no to an Oscar for Lady Gaga on A STAR IS BORN and then again on HOUSE OF GUCCI and now she’s done playing games and going for the sure thing: starring in a JOKER movie
— Brett ________ (@BrettRedacted) June 14, 2022
Interestingly, Phillips has worked with Gaga prior as a producer in 2018’s A Star is Born, in which the actor won the best original song award though lost out in the best actress category. Her performance in House of Gucci was also Oscar-worthy but failed to even earn a nomination. Since then, many have voiced their regret over Gaga’s Oscar snub. So fanatics are under the impression Gaga could deliver an Academy worthy performance in Joker 2, as did Phoenix in the first film. Additionally, Gaga’s original songs have long earned critics and fans approval with the latest “Hold My Hand” for Top Gun: Maverick getting a ‘hit out of the park’ response.
Phoenix is yet to close a deal with the studio though the 47-year-old star already had his hands on the screenplay. Could it be a single picture or multi-picture deal? The same question arises for Phillips who seems to be on Warners radar for other potential DC projects as well. It remains to be seen what plans are in store for what could be an R-rated offering, especially since the first title still stands as the highest-earning R-rated crossing $1 billion.
