2023 wasn't a good year for the DC brand. DC Studios announcing that the franchise would be rebooted at the start of the year lessened interest in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, with each of them struggling at the box office.
Only Blue Beetle really managed to escape the wrath of fans and critics, though it too flopped with $130 million on a budget of over $100 million.
2024's only DC movie is Joker: Folie à Deux and it's finally here. Unfortunately, reviews have not been kind, most fans seem to hate the sequel, and opening weekend box office projections make for painful reading.
Joker wasn't exactly a critical darling in 2019 but it broke records and earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar, so the $1 billion hit spawning a follow-up always seemed in equal parts both inevitable and unlikely. Where did it all go wrong for Joker: Folie à Deux? It could be the musical elements, the fact there was nothing really left to say after the first movie, or a general tarnishing of the DC brand.
Either way, with this being one of the biggest movies greenlit on David Zaslav's watch, big questions will need to be asked in the coming months.
Right now, we just want to hear from you, ComicBookMovie.com's readers. In the poll below, you can share your ratings for the Joker sequel before heading to the comments section to talk about all things spoilers.
Is Joker: Folie à Deux an underrated modern classic in the making or a musical misfire? Here's your chance to decide...
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Joker: Folie À Deux finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him.
The sequel stars Joaquin Phoenix once again in his Oscar-winning dual role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, opposite Oscar-winner Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born). The movie also features Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Catherine Keener (Get Out), alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from Joker.
Phillips, who was nominated for Oscars for directing, writing and producing Joker, directed Joker: Folie À Deux from a screenplay by fellow Oscar nominee Scott Silver & Phillips, based on characters from DC. This follow-up was produced by Phillips, Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Joseph Garner. Lady Gaga served as music consultant.
Joker: Folie À Deux is now playing in theaters.