Todd Phillip's Joker became a surprise hit for Warner Bros. and DC back in 2019 mainly due to Joaquin Phoenix's impressive portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime. The film followed the origin story of Arthur Fleck as he eventually transformed into the dangerous Batman villain known as the Joker.
The DC movie earned positive reception from fans and critics, ultimately landing a billion dollars in the box office. As a result, talks about a potential sequel surfaced, giving viewers hope that Phoenix will return for a second time to portray the iconic character.
Development for Joker 2 is shrouded in mystery, but it was revealed that Warner Bros. is still planning to release the sequel eventually.
Now, a new report may shed some light on the current plan for the film.
JOKER WRITER WILL RETURN IN PLANNED SEQUEL
The Hollywood Reporter shared that Todd Phillips has agreed to a deal to return and co-write the next Joker installment. Phillips also directed and produced the first film.
THE POWERFUL PAIR OF JOAQUIN PHOENIX AND TODD PHILLIPS
The return of Todd Phillips to a Joker sequel is a welcome development for fans, especially after his narrative direction and style that he established during the first film. This should also help Warner Bros. in persuading Joaquin Phoenix for a Joker comeback in the sequel.
Plot details are still being kept under wraps for Joker 2, but Phillips' return could hint that he will continue the story that he created in the first film. It's possible that a time jump will be considered, considering that the 2019 film featured a young Bruce Wayne.
To recap, Joker introduced the idea that Arthur Fleck and Bruce are brothers, and this could serve as the premise of the sequel.
While Joker is pretty much a self-contained narrative, giving the spotlight to a teenage version of Bruce (not Batman) and Fleck should present a fresh storyline for the sequel to tackle.
