Considering how low Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck has fallen since the first movie, Jared Leto’s “Damaged” Joker in Suicide Squad has finally been redeemed. Partially, at least. He was still a rather terrible Joker, but, at the very least, his character arc never came undone with the same chaotic intensity as Phoenix’s Clown Prince of Song.
A Disappointing Follow-Up to Joker’s Success
Against all odds, this wasn’t a good week for Joker fans. Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix couldn’t recapture lightning in a bottle a second time with Joker: Folie à Deux, the musical sequel to 2019’s trailblazing Joker film. A mixture of dubious production decisions left Folie à Deux as a cautionary tale for the DCU moving forward.
Folie à Deux took an “interesting” approach to the Joker – one that hasn’t necessarily resonated all that well with fans. Disillusioned fans might be why Joker: Folie à Deux performed worse than Morbius and The Marvels at the box office in its opening weekend.
But why? How do you go from a peerless character study like the first Joker film and then come up with whatever Folie à Deux is? Those questions must be going through Phillips’ head right now, as the movie also holds the unfortunate distinction of being the “worst comic book movie ever made,” according to CinemaScore reviews.
Like Heath Ledger before him, Phoenix’s outstanding performance as the Joker earned him an Oscar in 2020. It was the first time an actor had won the coveted award for a comic book film – a significant milestone that put Phoenix in the same league as some legendary Hollywood icons. For a comic book film, you just can’t get any better than that.
Folie à Deux Subverts Expectations – In a Bad Way
Still, Folie à Deux took the careful character development from its predecessor and tried to “subvert expectations” by just… dismantling everything Arthur Fleck represented to fans. To say Folie à Deux doesn’t respect its prequel would be an understatement, highlighting just how much of a mess this musical sequel is.
Fans and critics panned Leto’s performance from the start. There was little hope for the character, who never played a central role in Zack Snyder’s DC universe. What we got was a laughably ill-conceived Joker, made even worse by Leto’s off-camera “pranks” on the cast and crew. Besides all that, however, Leto was very much a Joker – something that we can’t say of Phoenix after Folie à Deux.
The Underwhelming Ending
By now, I’m sure most people on the internet are familiar with how Folie à Deux ends. Still, spoiling the movie’s ending, as underwhelming as it is, is not this article’s goal, so suffice it to say Arthur Fleck won’t be wearing the Joker’s make-up for a while by the time the movie ends.
The circumstances surrounding Fleck’s “retirement” are nothing short of unsatisfying. When fans came in to watch a sequel to Joker, most expected a story that chronicled the rise to power of one of the most legendary villains in comic book history. However, by the end of the film, the only Jokers left are those of us who paid to see Folie à Deux.
Comparing Jared Leto’s Joker and Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck
Love him or hate him, Jared Leto at least had a Joker that behaved more like the villain we love to hate from the comics. He was as two-dimensional a villain as they come, sure, but at the very least, he completed his tenure in the DCEU as THE Joker, instead of being relegated to side character status within his own movie, just like Arthur Fleck.
In the end, Arthur’s story was just plain depressing. Abused all his life and then unceremoniously retired, Arthur proved that he wasn’t Joker material, even if, for some reason, Phillips insisted this was the Joker. Maybe if he had a “Damaged” tattoo on his forehead, he would’ve had a better chance of becoming the Clown Prince of Crime. It worked for Leto, after all.
RELATED: The Snyder Cut’s Knightmare Joker Is The Most Original Version Of The Character Yet
Tell us, do you think Jared Leto’s Joker is better than Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck?
Joker: Folie à Deux |
|---|
Arthur Fleck is 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. |
 |
|---|
| Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, Domain Entertainment, DC Studios, Joint Effort |
| Running Time: 138 minutes |
| Release Date: October 4, 2024 |
| Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz |
| Director: Todd Phillips |
| Writers: Scott Silver, Todd Phillips, Bob Kane |
| Genre: Crime, Musical, Thriller, Drama |
| Box Office: N/A |
