When Joker: Folie à Deux was originally announced there was a mixed reaction to the fact that it’s supposed to be a musical. Fans of the original were also annoyed that Lady Gaga had been cast as Harley Quinn. It seemed like Joker 2 was destined to follow in the footsteps of so many sequels before it by being completely underwhelming and inferior to the original.

After watching the first trailer though, my hope has been restored:

The first trailer for ‘JOKER 2’ has been released.

In theaters on October 4. pic.twitter.com/yj8yhSeikf

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 10, 2024

According to Todd Phillips at CinemaCon where this trailer debuted, Joker: Folie à Deux is a “movie where music is an essential element but doesn’t veer too far from the first film.” So it’s less of a musical in the traditional sense and more of a thriller with a lot of musical influence and elements. So that’s good to hear.

Pleasant surprise to see Steve Coogan show up outta nowhere in the trailer, and Brendan Gleeson too!

Like most people, I was a fan of the first movie. I do think it was a tad overrated but Joaquin Phoenix was absolutely immense in the title role. So I guess we’ve just got to trust Todd Phillips and co, who already did something different with the Joker IP in the original and came up with a pretty great movie in the end.

Also, this shot is one of the coolest things ever:

Is real cinema back? We’ll have to wait and see when Joker 2 drops in October.

For a look at Barry Keoghan as The Joker in a deleted scene from ‘The Batman’, click HERE.