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Joker has no doubt become one of the most profitable comic book movies of all time, so it’s no wonder that Warner Bros would be so eager to jump on a sequel. Conflicting reports have been coming out earlier this week that a Joker sequel had been greenlit, but director Todd Phillips has come out to clear the air.
Talking to IndieWire, Phillips says that the writer who reported that the movie had been approved had “jumped the gun.” Phillips further explains:
“I can honestly say to you there was no meeting that ever happened on October 7 where I marched in… First of all, if you know me and my career, that’s not my style. I made a huge comedy at Warner Bros., ‘The Hangover,’ and I didn’t suddenly become a comedy factory producer, like, oh, let’s just churn out movies. Bradley [Cooper] and I have a production company at Warners. I’ve been at Warners for 15, 16 years. We have two things in development at all times, not 40 things like some people. I’m not the kind of guy who goes marching in saying I want these 40 titles. I just don’t have the energy.”
If anything, it would have been hypocritical for Phillips to start working on a sequel, because he had always been adamant that Joker was a one-off film. Jumping right in on the franchise bandwagon would be a poor display of integrity on his part.
While I think a sequel is possible, I hope that Phillips comes to it naturally, and honestly, I can wait. If you ask me, this version of Joker is still far-off from the sociopath that Batman has clashed with frequently. Maybe the sequel could establish Arthur as a mastermind, but I wouldn’t mind a spinoff where he downright clashes with Batman a few decades into the timeline.
For now, you can catch Joker in theaters.
