Joker Doesn’t Need a Sequel, But Will Get One Anyway [OPINION]

Joker from director Todd Phillips starring Joaquin Phoenix as the clown prince of crime has officially become the first R rated movie to make a billion dollars at the box office. Safe to say this is a really big deal for Warner Brothers as after a myriad of controversy and security threats at multiple theaters it’s a miracle the film was as successful as it has been. Many critics and filmgoers thought that this kind of attention to the film would make people not want to see it but as it turns out it did almost the complete opposite. But now we enter talks of a sequel and if you ask me Joker doesn’t need a sequel.

Each week the film was hitting anew milestone first beating Deadpool as the highest-grossing R rated film ever. And now becoming the first to pass a billion dollars there’s no doubt there will be a sequel right? Well, nothing is set and stone at the moment as director Todd Philips has stated he never intended for the film to have sequels or be connected to any other DC universe. However, with the success of the film, it seems both Phillips and Phoenix are more open to a sequel after it’s a success.

While a continuation of the story told would no doubt get a lot of people excited, it’s not exactly necessary. Again Phillips intended the film to not have a sequel so it was started and ended as its own story. However, this is Hollywood and anything that makes big company’s money will undoubtedly be made until it doesn’t anymore just look at the Friday the 13th franchise. 

If you’ve seen the film you know it ends on kind of an ambitious note that leaves quite a lot to desire and leaves more questions than answers. But that adds to the charm of the whole film as fans have invaded platforms such as Reddit to give their theories on the film and where it goes after it ends. The problem with Hollywood sequels is that more often than not they are lazy cash grabs that are solely made to make money off a profitable property. Rather than make a sequel with true heart and soul that is made to continue an artistic work. Phillips had said he would want to return for the sequel but as we have seen in the past many directors leave sequels over “creative differences.” Studios have a different idea of what the directors want and that leads to a total collapse and an almost entirely different project being released.

The hope is that if a sequel does happen both Phillips and Phoenix return to create a true defining sequel to Joker. But if history has taught us anything this doesn’t always pan out and worst-case scenario both the director and star of the film are replaced. It’s fair to see fans of the film don’t want this so all we can do is hope Warner Brothers and Phillips can agree to something that makes both sides happy and keeps the audience entertained.