Joker 2 director unveils first look at the DC movie – and it's seriously creepy

Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker in Joker — (Image credit: Warner Bros)

Joker 2 director Todd Phillips has unveiled an unnerving first look at Joaquin Phoenix's return as the Clown Prince of Crime. The actor will reprise his role in the upcoming DC sequel, which will co-star Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.

In the picture, which we can see below, an emaciated-looking Arthur Fleck is being shaved by a uniformed person. Considering Joker ended with Arthur incarcerated at Arkham Asylum, it's safe to assume the person shaving him works at the facility. The picture doesn't give anything else away, but the moody lighting perfectly matches the tone of the first film.

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Plot details on the DC sequel are scarce at the moment, but the full title, Folie à Deux, means a mental disorder shared by two people. That's a strong hint that the movie will be delving into the relationship between Joker and Harley. The sequel is also reportedly a musical, though, per Variety, it's more in the vein of A Star is Born than In the Heights.

Along with Gaga and Phoenix, the film also stars Brendan Gleeson in a mystery role, along with Catherine Keener and Zazie Beetz. Beetz returns as her character from the first film, Arthur's neighbour Sophie.

Despite some major shake-ups in the DC universe lately, it seems Joker 2 remains unaffected – probably because it's set entirely in its own world, unconnected from the main DCEU or The Batman.

Joker 2 arrives on October 4, 2024. Until then, check out how to watch all the DC movies in order to get caught up on the universe so far.

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.