Joker Sequel Links to Classic Villain Two-Face

In Joker: Folie à Deux, Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga return as Joker and Harley Quinn in Todd Phillips' sequel to Joker. According to Entertainment Weekly, the film not only delves deeper into the chaotic relationship between these two infamous DC Comics villains, but it also introduces the origin story of Two-Face, another iconic character from the Batman universe.

As the movie unfolds, viewers are drawn into a series of musical duets between Arthur (Phoenix) and Lee (Gaga), showcasing their increasingly deranged romance. The climax takes place in a courtroom, where Harvey Dent (played by Harry Lawtey), the Gotham City District Attorney, attempts to prosecute Arthur for his crimes. Familiar faces from the first film, like Zazie Beetz's Sophie and Leigh Gill's Gary, reappear to testify about Arthur's mental state, following the violent events he set in motion at the end of the first film.

During the trial, Arthur confidently manipulates the legal system using his Joker persona, aiming not only to deepen his relationship with Lee but also to further cement his control over the chaos and violence he's embraced. However, a pivotal moment occurs when Brendan Gleeson's character, a security guard at Arkham State Hospital, kills one of Arthur's fellow inmates, leading Arthur to a moment of reflection. He reveals to the jury that he is not the Joker but merely Arthur, a powerless individual, acknowledging his mortality after being found guilty. Shortly after, a bomb explodes outside the courthouse.

The destruction reveals Harvey Dent, whose face has been partially burned and bloodied, marking the birth of Two-Face. Todd Phillips confirms that this moment was intended to signify Dent’s transformation into the well-known Batman villain. Phillips explains that the portrayal of Two-Face follows the film’s grounded approach, offering a more realistic take on the character's backstory.

Though Two-Face's role is brief, Phillips emphasizes that the audience is meant to understand this as Dent's metamorphosis. The filmmaker states that Lawtey, known for his work on HBO's Industry, plays Dent as the young district attorney before becoming Two-Face. Phillips' goal was to honor the Batman lore while reinterpreting it through a unique, gritty lens, different from previous iterations like Tommy Lee Jones' and Aaron Eckhart's portrayals in Batman Forever and The Dark Knight, respectively.

This approach aligns with both Joker and Folie à Deux, where the films diverge from traditional superhero narratives to focus on Arthur's evolution, without adhering strictly to Batman canon. In the first film, a young Bruce Wayne and his parents make an appearance, but they are absent in the sequel. Similarly, Two-Face is never explicitly mentioned by name in the movie, leaving the audience to piece together the clues, which is exactly what Phillips intended.

Phillips clarifies that the deviation from established comic book lore isn't out of disrespect, but rather an effort to make the story uniquely their own.