Will Bruce Wayne return in 'Joker: Folie à Deux'? Fans debate over Batman's role in Joaquin Phoenix's franchise
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Joker: Folie à Deux' is inching closer to its release, but the mystery around Bruce Wayne's return remains a point of intrigue among fans. In a sequel to the 2019 movie 'Joker', filmmaker Todd Phillips brings back Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck aka Joker. While several supporting cast members of the 2019 film return in their respective roles, Lady Gaga's addition has particularly excited fans. However, the absence of Dante Pereira-Olson from the cast list has initiated a debate.
In 'Joker', Dante Pereira-Olson, now 16, played young Bruce Wayne, a character who later became Batman in DC Comics. Since the movie was primarily about Arthur Fleck’s spiral into madness, the lack of focus on Batman wasn't a big deal. But with the announcement of the arrival of another major Batman villain, Harvey Dent in the sequel, the connection to Bruce Wayne can't be ignored.
Why 'Joker' 2 may not be ready for Batman/Bruce Wayne yet
Bruce Wayne was just a young boy when his parents were killed by a rioter in 'Joker' (2019). There's still a lot of time for him to turn into Batman. Therefore, chances of seeing him as Batman in 'Joker: Folie à Deux' are extremely slim.
Now even though Bruce Wayne/Batman's return isn't confirmed in the sequel and Dante Pereira-Olson too hasn't been listed as a cast member, it doesn't mean we can't expect his appearance. We could see a glimpse of him influencing the story, or he could appear as a vision in Arthur’s hallucinations. His transformation into Gotham's protector seems to be at least a few films away in upcoming movies of the franchise, if any.
Fans don't want Bruce Wayne to be a part of 'Joker: Folie à Deux'
As much as people love 'Batman' movies, they don't want the superhero in 'Joker' sequel. In a Reddit discussion about the possibility of Bruce Wayne's return in the 2024 film, a fan expressed, "I hope not. Joker was best when it WASN’T engaging in any sort of DC lore stuff. I just found it distracting."
"I agree completely," was one of the many comments mentioning that the film doesn't need Batman. Someone added, "I hope not. Allegedly (this is probably BS) the original ending to Joker was that all three Waynes would be murdered, given the tone of the film it would have been morbidly perfect."
A fan argued, "Kinda both hope he does and he doesn’t. He served no real purpose except “Look, it’s Batman!” Sure, he gave Joker something to be jealous of with his dad and all but that’s sort of it. So on one hand I hope they skip him for that reason. On the other hand, If they manage to build him up into something meaningful, he wouldn’t be so unnecessary in the first one."
"Nah he shouldn't return. It was one of the most pointless parts of the first film and we don't need another side plot that features Batman," added another.
A Reddit user cited that "Batman or Bruce is too young to be Batman right now. This movie is supposed to show how Gotham devolved into what it is now."
How to stream 'Joker: Folie à Deux'?
'Joker: Folie à Deux' features Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck/Joker, Lady Gaga as Harleen "Lee" Quinzel/Harley Quinn, and Harry Lawtey as Harvey Dent. The musical psychological thriller film is scheduled to be released in the United States on Friday, October 4.
Oversees, the film is releasing on Wednesday, October 2, that is, two days before domestic release. Details of its digital release are not yet announced.
'Joker: Folie à Deux' trailer
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