Is Todd Phillips done with the DC Universe after Joker: Folie à Deux? The director gives his thoughts on future movies such as a spin-off with Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn.
While reviews for Joker: Folie à Deux have been mixed, one thing that has been consistent is that Lady Gaga’s performance as Harley Quinn is one of the best to come out of the DC Universe since Joaquin Phoenix took the stage as Arthur Fleck. This left all eyes on director Todd Phillips, with many wondering if he would consider penning a spin-off for the character, to which he gave a very curt and somewhat vague response.
“For me I’ve always thought that these two movies kind of exist as their own thing,” Phillips told Variety when asked about a potential spin-off for Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn “And no, that’s- I know you’re trying to like get the next thing but I don’t want to go into that.”
This response left many fans wondering if the ending of Joker: Folie à Deux set up some kind of future for Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, especially given how open the director has been about this being the end of Arthur Fleck’s story. However, it seems the internet may have a bigger stomach for Todd Phillips’ work in the DC Universe than even he does.
Todd Phillips Speaks On His DC Aspirations
Given how successful the first Joker film was, many suspected that Todd Phillips may be willing to ride the cash cow that is the DC Universe all the way to the bank, regardless of how well Joker: Folie à Deux does at the box office. However, it seems the director is more than content to leave the franchise behind, admitting that this film was his final act for the world of comic books.
“It’s not really where this movie is headed for me,” Phillips told The Hollywood Reporter when further pressed on a spin-off for Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. “I feel like my time in the DC Universe was these two films.”
This all but confirms that Todd Phillips plans to wrap his time with the DC Universe up in a neat bow with Joker: Folie à Deux. And given how vitriolic early social media reactions have been toward the director’s ending for the duology, it may be best that a Harley Quinn spin-off starring Lady Gaga is left in the imaginations of fans.
Joker: Folie à Deux is set to hit theaters on October 4, 2024. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the sequel and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
