Joaquin Phoenix is set to return as the Joker in the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux and fans are excited about the exciting direction that the film is going to take. The first Joker film back in 2019 showed the character’s mental deterioration amidst a crime-ridden Gotham City and the sequel is set to further explore this aspect along with Harley Quinn thrown in the mix.
Before Phoenix, Heath Ledger played the iconic character in The Dark Knight. Amazingly, both actors won Oscars for playing the same role, and Ledger’s co-star in the film Aaron Eckhart had an interesting take on why audiences are connecting to the character and the actors’ performances.
Aaron Eckhart Praises Heath Ledger and Joaquin’s Phoenix’s Groundbreaking Joker Roles
Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight was a game-changing performance in the superhero genre that changed people’s perceptions of comic-book films. In addition to giving a nuanced and menacing performance, Ledger’s Joker had a lot to say about anarchy and the moral dilemmas around it.
Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker continued exploring that theme where the anarchic state of Gotham City went hand in hand with his deteriorating psychological state. Ledger’s co-star from The Dark Knight Aaron Eckhart was all praises for both actors who went out of their comfort zones to provide different dimensions to a complex character.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Eckhart revealed that both actors are showing the way to how a compelling antagonist/ grey character should be presented, and audiences love them for that. Eckhart pointed out how Ledger and Phoenix got deep into the skin of the character and extracted something real and thought-provoking with their performances as Joker. He said,
“I think Heath [Ledger] and Joaquin [Phoenix] are showing the way. They’re showing the way in the sense that they’re just being very real and that they go all the way into the bottom of their soul and find where it comes from and they give it to us. That’s what those guys did and I think audiences appreciate that the most.”
The fact that both won Oscars for playing the Joker shows how much of an impact they have made on audiences with their incredible performances. This is something that Marvel, who has long been criticized for having weak villains in most of their films, should take in and apply to their material too.
Joker: Folie à Deux’s Musical Elements Are Integral Says Todd Phillips
Joker: Folie à Deux reunites Todd Phillips with Joaquin Phoenix after 2019’s Joker, which grossed more than a billion dollars at the box office. The teaser of the film was released recently and it showed Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn taking part in some dreamy musical numbers placed throughout the film. While fans were concerned about it being a full-on musical, Phillips assured that it was not.
At CinemaCon, Phillips stated that the musical elements of the film are an important part of the narrative and Arthur Fleck’s graceful personality. The inclusion of these elements did not change the tone of the sequel from the first film and the director promised that everything will make sense once fans see the film in its entirety. He said (via Entertainment Weekly),
“We never really talked about it like that, but I like to say it’s a film where music is an essential element. To me, that doesn’t veer too far from the first film,” Phillips said of the new movie’s tone, referencing the way Phoenix’s titular character navigated the original film to set the stage for the upcoming sequel. “Arthur [Fleck]’s weird and aloof and all these things, but he has music in him. He has a grace to him. That informed a lot of the dancing in the first film… it didn’t feel like that big of a step here. It’s different, but I think it’ll make sense when you see it.”
Gaga’s inclusion as Harley Quinn also adds a new dynamic for Phoenix’s Joker and their sizzling chemistry as seen in the teaser has left fans extremely excited. Along with them, the film also stars Zazie Beetz, Brendan Gleeson, and Catherine Keener.
Joker: Folie à Deux will hit theatres on October 4, 2024.
