James Gunn Clarifies Joker 2's Connection to Elseworlds Branding

The Connection to Elseworlds Branding

James Gunn, the head of DC Studios, has finally broken his silence on the branding of Joker: Folie \/ Deux as an Elseworlds story and its connection to the updated DC Universe before its 2024 release. In January 2023, Gunn, in a video statement, informed the fans about how things are going to move forward in the DC Universe. In the process, the filmmaker also mentioned that stories not fitting into the DCU continuity would be labeled as DC: Elseworlds. Since then, fans have been asking if Joker 2 will be a part of the Elseworlds branding, and it seems the director has given a firm response to the burning question.

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On his official Threads account, the Guardians of the Galaxy helmer responded to a fan’s query about the upcoming movie and noted that the Elseworlds branding won’t be introduced until 2025. Gunn wrote, “Nope. Won't debut until the films we've worked on.” The filmmaker’s response means Joker: Folie \/ Deux won’t be a part of the aforementioned branding and will be a standalone film. His latest comments come almost 11 months after the director stated that The Batman: Part II and Joker 2 will be the first two movies to be included in the Elseworlds franchise. However, Gunn’s response suggested that fans would have to wait for Superman: Legacy to release in theatres to know more about Elseworlds branding.

The Anticipated Release

In 2024, DC plans to release only Folie \/ Deux as part of their studio revamp led by James Gunn and Peter Safran. The newly appointed leaders would have wanted the DCEU to end on a high so that fans would be excited to see how things are going to be different when DC Universe arrives in 2025. However, DCEU’s last movie, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, received negative reviews from the critics and is currently underperforming at the box office. With Joker 2, Gunn and Safran will be hoping to give fans something to cheer about after a disappointing 2023.

The title refers to a condition where two people close to each other start sharing a shared delusion, often influenced by the dominant personality. Joaquin Phoenix will be reprising the role of Arthur Fleck, aka Joker, in the movie. Meanwhile, Lady Gaga will be introduced as Harley Quinn. Director Todd Phillips has already made it clear that the film will have a lot of musical elements and that aspect has already captured the attention of the world. Phillips and the team has a difficult task of outclassing the original 2019 movie that went on to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time with earnings of $1.074 billion. Additionally, Phoenix won the Best Actor in a Leading Role accolade at the Academy Awards.

Future of Joker and The Batman Franchises

Although there is a lot of excitement for the sequel, Gunn’s latest comments have made fans curious about the future of Joker and The Batman franchises. Joker: Folie \/ Deux is scheduled to hit theaters on October 4, 2024.