While it hasn’t yet been confirmed by Warner Bros., it seems certain that Joker 2 is in development, with director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix probably returning. The Joker sequel would likely follow up the events of the acclaimed 2019 movie, although since the news broke, fans are adamant that a new Joker movie doesn’t need to happen and there are many other major DC Comics villains who deserve a feature instead.
What DC villain movies do fans want instead of Joker 2?
News of Joker 2 came from a piece in The Hollywood Reporter about Hollywood lawyers, of all things, where it notes that Warren Dern represents Joker director Todd Phillips, who has apparently “struck a deal to co-write the next Joker installment.” This tallies with reports released all the way back in 2019, following the success of the first movie, but fans aren’t happy. They argue that there are many other DC villains who deserve a movie instead of the Clown Prince of Crime.
We really don’t need a Joker 2 movie especially when there’s so many other batman villains who can hold their own movie like Scarecrow? Mr Freeze? Clayface? Killer croc? Etc? Give another character a shot
— sabrina 🦇 (@nightwaynes) May 27, 2021
Some have even mocked up fantastic fan posters to go with these possible movies:
https://twitter.com/dianaTHEEprince/status/1389345959696498691
While Joker 2 would undoubtedly be a success, the story of Joaquin Phoenix’s “Arthur Fleck” is wrapped up by the end of the first movie, so it would be far more compelling to see the origin of another famous villain.
Mr. Freeze is well-known as the most tragic character in the beloved Batman: The Animated Series, while Catwoman certainly deserves a better movie than the atrocious 2004 Razzie winner. Mike Flanagan, the acclaimed director of The Haunting Of Hill House series and Oculus, has stated that he would love to do a body-horror Clayface movie, which Warner Bros. should’ve jumped on.
Well I've wanted to do a Superman movie since I was a kid, but I would also be really keen to do a standalone Clayface movie as a horror/thriller/tragedy. https://t.co/68nZFLOGLT
— Mike Flanagan (@flanaganfilm) January 8, 2021
Warner Bros. already canceled a standalone Deathstroke movie despite having Joe Manganiello appear as him at the end of Justice League, with a longer appearance in the more recent Snyder Cut. Joker was based on a comic by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, whose next project was a similar character study of Superman’s arch-enemy Lex Luthor, and Luthor would’ve been a great follow-up movie that could’ve portrayed Superman from Lex’s point of view.
Fans are in agreement with this one: the world doesn’t need Joker 2, it needs more original DC villain movies.
It's nice to see Twitter almost universally agreeing on the same subject: we don't need Joker 2. pic.twitter.com/xf5Mxja6pR
— The Moonlight Warrior 🌙 (@BlackMajikMan90) May 27, 2021
Elsewhere in DC, Zack Snyder burns his last bridge with Warner Bros and puts the Snyderverse in jeopardy, although he did share a photo from the cut Justice League Green Lantern scene. In the world of gaming, a movie based on the Injustice Netherrealm fighting games is on its way, and Netherrealm itself might be working on a Marvel vs DC game… maybe. Who knows with those guys anymore.
