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Five years ago, Todd Phillips’ surprise hit movieJoker, which startled both reviewers and audiences, became a smash at the box office. Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the grim version of DC Comics’s classic villain (Arthur Fleck / Joker) even brought him an Oscar. The long wait for a sequel will finally pay off later this year whenJoker 2opens in theaters on June 07, 2025. Will this be a traditional follow-up?
Rumors quickly spread that the follow-up might see a musical pivot after Lady Gaga joined the cast as Harley Quinn. Although not much is known aboutJoker: Folie à Deux, Lawrence Sher, the film’s cinematographer, has recently declared that it is“not a musical”.
It appears that this decision was made to correct a major error before the film’s release in order to avoid the problems that have previously afflictedThe Marvels. One of the reasons for Brie Larson’s film’s failure was that viewers did not want it to be a musical.
Joker 2 Shares First Look at Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga’s Demented Romance: “The La La Land of our darkest timeline”
Joker 2Sets the Stage Right: A Musical-Free Cinematic Win
Without question, the 2019 superhero filmJokertransformed the superhero genreand challenged prevailing beliefs. The dark and twisted story of one of Batman’s most iconic adversaries enthralled audiences around the world. For this reason, fans were ecstatic to learn of the sequel starringJoaquin Phoenix. Althoughthe plot is tightly under wraps, one question keeps popping up: Is the upcoming sequel a musical?
After composer Hildur Guðnadóttir’s earlier remarks gained traction online, rumors initially started to spread about the musical elements involved in the film. In an interview withComicBook, the composer ofJoker1 and 2 stated.
“There is going to be a lot of music. That’s all I can give away.”
Moreover, the sequel will have “complicated musical sequences”,Varietyalso revealed around the same time.From all of this, some conjectured that the film might be a musical overall, abandoning the serious tone of the first film and going all out with numerous song and dance sequences.
But the cinematographer forJoker1 & 2, Lawrence Sher, recently refuted these rumors on February 14, saying the movie is not musical. She said:
Lawrence Sher says ‘JOKER 2’ is not a musical
“It’s not a musical per se, it just has music in it. The music is part of the film and the characters, but I don’t know if it’s a musical.”
(via:@jokerfolienews)pic.twitter.com/iaqxIs96nh
— ScreenTime (@screentime)June 28, 2025
This decision appears to fix a major error before the film’s release, which may have been partly motivated by the criticismThe Marvelsreceived. Music was one of the contributing factors to the failure of Nia DaCosta’s film.
Joaquin Phoenix’s DC Sequel Creates a Serious Problem For Robert Pattinson After Joker 2 Teases Major DC Character
Joker 2Fixes a Musical Error to Avoid Brie Larson’sThe MarvelsDisaster?
It is impossible to ignoreBrie Larson’sThe Marvels’audacious attempt to weave musical elements into its superhero story. Sadly, this move backfired, receiving little enthusiasm from both critics and audiences. While some may argue that musical scenes can enhance a film’s experience,The Marvelsactually overlooked that creativity needs to be handled with precision and, above all, to be aligned with viewers’ expectations.
Thelowest-grossing film in the MCUreceived a 1.5-star rating from Christy Lemire ofRogerEbert.com, who described it as “terrible” and said that it is“the worst film yet in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,”with“an unexpected”musical sequence.
Todd Phillips’ 2019 film took a darker turn, delving into the psyche of the Joker, enthralling audiences with its psychological depth and brilliant performance by Joaquin Phoenix. Thus, avoiding music can be a win-win situation for the film’s plot and Joker’s arc.
With the maker’s clear-eyed vision as well as the choice to leave out musical elements,Joker: Folie à Deuxrectifies a potential error, preventing the pitfalls that have previously plaguedThe Marvels.
Warner Bros. Pictures’Joker: Folie à Deuxwill be released on July 16, 2025.
Meanwhile, streamJokeron Netflix andThe Marvelsis available on Disney Plus.
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
