Joaquin Phoenix Says He Will Consider Starring In Joker Sequel

According to a report from TheEnvelope.com, Joaquin Phoenix, who recently portrayed Arthur Fleck as the Joker, revealed that he wouldn’t be opposed to reprising the character for the second time.

Regardless of the controversy around the movie, including for its portrayal of violence and mental illness, the vast majority of the general public, as well as critics, all seem to agree his performance in the movie was superb.

Reportedly, The Envelope interviewed the Gladiator alum, where he indicated he would be open to the idea of portraying Arthur Fleck once again in a would-be sequel. Initially, Joaquin was concerned about playing a comic-book character due to the lack of “compelling material,” however, he really enjoyed portraying Joker.

According to Joaquin, part of the attraction of taking on the role had to do with the fact it was a one-off deal, which means he didn’t have to continue acting as Arthur Fleck if he didn’t have to. “I didn’t sign a deal to do more,” the actor remarked, adding that it’s great to not be locked into a film deal.

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Phoenix claims he found himself pondering about the future of the character after they finished wrapping. Moreover, he started thinking about it long before they knew how successful it was going to be. During the beginning stages of filming, Joaquin reportedly asked Todd when he would start working on another one.

Joaquin went on to say that if a second movie was to come to fruition, it would have to have some “thematic resonance in a similar way that this does.” There’s no question that if Todd and Phoenix ever worked together again, Joker 2 would be a smash hit.

In recent weeks, it was reported by multiple outlets that Joker was the most financially successful R-rated movie of all time. Made for an estimated $55-$70 million, the movie has since gone on to gross over $1 billion worldwide.

As was noted above, the movie wasn’t without controversy, however. Some were concerned that the movie glorified the trials and tribulations of a mentally-ill loner and social pariah.