Fans took a breath of fresh air when they first heard the announcement of the origin story of one of the most famous and complex villains in DC comics history will be adapted into a high-profile film that would be an entirely separate entity from the DCEU. Joker was the movie that the fans of DC comics had expected to emphasize the origin story of a mentally deranged supervillain and Batman’s greatest nemesis. It had all the freedom in the world by Warner Bros. to create a film that would truly explore and elaborate the Clown’s past with every bit of dark nuance and a deep storyline that could never be adapted in the DCEU.
But after the management rumble at Warner Bros. Discovery, people were not sure whether the next Joker film would become a part of the DCEU.
But now, fans can breathe another sigh of relief as now there’s confirmation from a leading industry expert that the next installment of the Joaquin Phoenix starrer would not be a part of the DCEU, and this news is exciting.
Joker 2 Will Not Be Part Of The DCEU
Fans were greeted with a welcome surprise as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced that Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn and longtime manager-turned-producer Peter Safran would take the reigns at DC Films. This was something that took the whole industry by storm. An anonymous spokesperson said that “If Marvel proves anything, you need someone with fanboy chops and producer chops. That’s what they seem to have here, for the first time, at DC.”
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This news was naturally followed by a barrage of questions by the DC fans, and one of the biggest was the uncertain future of Joker, more specifically, whether the sequel to the 2019 Joaquin Phoenix starrer be incorporated into the DCEU after new management took over. Luckily, the question was answered by Variety’s digital news director Zack Sharf, and he wrote in his tweet that the upcoming Joker 2 would remain outside the DCEU’s realm despite the management shake-up.
– JOKER 2 will exist outside the cinematic universe that James Gunn/Safran will build out
– THE BATMAN 2 doesn't have a finished script/ won't hit theaters until 2025 at the earliest
– Henry Cavill's SUPERMAN movie is now soliciting pitches from writershttps://t.co/FYvlwUCUbu
— Zack Sharf (@ZSharf) October 25, 2022
This might come as news that has a lot of mixed feelings muddled into a single outcome. On one end, fans are disappointed with this news as they were expecting the DCEU would be getting streamlined after the management decision was shaken-up. Expectations were to see this completely unhinged version of the Clown with a sentimental connection that would tear us between choosing who the good and bad guys in the DCEU were.
While on the other hand, there is this majority of the others who are beyond happy about the incorporation of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker being left out of the age-restrictive barriers of the DCEU. They hoped for this outcome as they were afraid that this version of the Joker might be mellowed out to appeal to the larger audience, betraying the whole point of the previous Joker.
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Was This The Right Decision?
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Turning back to the divided front of whether the new management’s decision was right or wrong, it boils down to which side of the spectrum you were on. In widespread media, people think that the Joker films are better off living outside the restrictions of PG-13 of the DCEU, the reason being that it simply was not meant to ever be incorporated into the cinematic universe, to begin with. Showing this deep and dark side of the Joker was something that could’ve only been achieved by bypassing a certain section of the fandom who are more suited towards the mellow superhero sections of the DC Universe.
No matter what happens from here on out, we are sure to be grateful that the DCEU is being delivered into good and capable hands.
Joker 2, in cinemas on 4th October 2024
Source: Variety
