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With only a few days left before 2024 bids farewell, fans are already looking up to the big releases awaiting them in theaters next year. Major titles like Marvel’sThe Fantastic Fourand DC’sSupermanare among the lineup for 2025. Before excitement takes over for the major releases of the upcoming year, it’s worth reflecting on 2024’s biggest movie that ended up being a major disappointment.
There were more misses than hits this year and the list is just too big to overlook. However, one film stood out due to its steep fall from grace. While the flop of passion projects likeMegalopolisandHorizonhurt the fans, it was theJokersequel’s critical and commercial failure that shocked fans the most. There were several factors that contributed to fans rejectingJoker: Folie à Deux.
1Did Todd Phillips really think the musical was a good idea?!
Out of all the creative waysTodd Phillipscould’ve further explored the story of Arthur Fleck, he went full-on musical withJoker: Folie à Deux. EvenLady Gaga, who proved to be a true performer inA Star is Born, couldn’t save the film in spite of its musical aspect. For some unimaginable reason, Phillips didn’t even put the female lead’s powerful vocals to its best use.
The music was not just annoying for some fans, but they criticized it for being outright bad. Gaga reportedly had to train to sing badly, just because she was playing the crazy Harley Quinn or Lee in this film (via Vogue). Fans had predicted earlier that the musical tones would undermine the intense storytelling in the film. Even fans of the musical genre would’ve found it difficult to sit through the film.
A Heartbreaking Fact Shows Just How Far Joaquin Phoenix Has Fallen from Grace after ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Flopped
Thefilm’s Tomatometer and Popcornmeter scoresstand the same at 32%, indicating that both critics and viewers found it a terrible sequel (via Rotten Tomatoes). Some of the comments from fans against the musical aspect were on point. One fan wrote that the film felt as if Phillips wanted to make a musical film but self-guessed himself mid-way through it (via Cinemablend).
Another fan wrote in his review,“It felt like I was watching A Star is Born: Joker edition. It was ridiculous.”The website consensus on RT shared that the sequel“dances around while the story remains still.”A musical is the last thing fans want from the clown prince of crime.
2Fans will never forgiveJoker: Folie à Deuxfor its climax twist
In some film circles, there was a rumor before the film’s release that the climax would largely divide the fans. However, it turned out that there wasn’t much debate among fans when it came to the climax twist. They absolutely hated it and that too for obvious reasons.
Joker 2‘s climax sequence sawJoaquin Phoenix‘s Arthur Fleck being convicted of murder by the jury after he renounced his Joker persona. Outside of the courtroom, a car bomb explodes and creates chaos. It was a scene that foreshadowed the fate of Harry Lawtey’s Harvey Dent. Fleck escapes with the help of two loyal supporters. He meets up with Lee outside of his old apartment.
Gaga’s character ends the relationship with Fleck after he renounces his Joker persona. Fleck’s escape is short-lived as he is ultimately captured and returned to Arkham Asylum. Fans hated the turn of events up until this point, but the nail in the coffin was the final scene revealing a new Joker.
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An inmate approaches him and stabs him with a shank. The inmate, played by Connor Storrie, delivers a psychotic laugh and carves a Glasgow smile into his face, resembling Heath Ledger’s Joker fromThe Dark Knight. It was a potential hint that the next person is ready to take on the mantle of Joker.
The climax showed us that Joker was merely a psychological construct rather than an iconic Batman villain. The climax even ruins the first film as Fleck was never the Joker fans believed him to be. When you subvert expectations to that extent, it’s inevitable that viewers will push back strongly.
3The sequel was a disservice to the 2019 film that won Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar
Joker(2019) wasn’t a big favorite among comic book fans as the film discussed some topics that were out of the scope of the source material.The film worked among moviegoersas a standalone film based in Gotham City that leaned into the psychological aspects of crime and criminals. While it was not the most comic-accurate depiction, the film still stayed connected to its comic roots.
When a sequel toJokerwas announced, fans had entirely different concerns about a second film. They believed this sequel could go in a similar direction to Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knight. They expected Fleck to embrace his role as the chaotic Batman villain fully. But the outcome was anything but.
“Give me my money back”: Kai Cenat Has a Beef to Settle With Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Philips After Watching Joker: Folie à Deux
It appears that Todd Phillips may have gone overboard with his plans to make it different from any other Joker portrayal. He shared in an interview that the sequel would clarify“a lot of things that you might have had questions about in the first movie”(via SlashFilm). However, they weren’t answers that satisfied fans of his first film.
Some would consider it as a failed experiment that tried to go big and bold but ultimately fell flat. However, others believe that the director probably didn’t even try with this tone-deaf sequel. The film ended up never fully committing to any of its ideas.
4ForgetJoker‘s comic accuracy, the sequel throws out the comic lore completely!
Instead of Arthur Fleck, comic book fans would want Todd Phillips to take the stand for his crimes against the comic lore. He would be charged with one count of blatant disregard for the core traits of the Joker character. Another charge against him would be causing emotional distress to fans who grew up reading these comics and developed deep connections to the characters.
Phillips knew that true DC fans would probably hate his take on the character, sharing at the pre-screening Q&A session,“I think it’s going to leave you with a very unsettling … I think it’s unsettling”(via SlashFilm). He also added,“Again, if you don’t understand it, email me.”Most of those emails would be asking him the same thing—did he really think this film would work?
5 Reasons Why Joker: Folie à Deux Is Already a Box Office Flop
Fans felt the film was an insult to the legacy of one of the most iconic comic book villains. There was a criticism directed atJoker 2in particular and other comic book movies in general that the directors attempted to mix genres just for the sake of novelty. The film proves that the industry should take comic book materials more seriously or risk the decline of the genre altogether.
5Joker: Folie à Deuxpulls away from the social context altogether
Even whenfans ignored a film likeMegalopolisfrom a creator like Francis Ford Coppola, critics could still see the director’s message in it. However, theJokersequel lacked any vision for critics to even love it as a controversial film. It was a dull experience and a significant step down from the high tension and raw emotions of the first movie.
One of the major flaws in Phillips’ new direction was that the film seemed to betray the character established in the original. The director seemed to forget what made Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal so impactful in the first film. Arthur Fleck’s transformation into the Joker was deeply rooted in social commentary, which resonated with the moviegoers.
InJoker 2, Phillips shifted focus away from that social context, focusing instead on Fleck facing the consequences of his actions. Fans felt this approach betrayed its titular character, accusing the film of straying too far from its roots.
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A major part of the narrative took place in jail or the courtroom. There was a notable lack of moments that kept the audience hooked. The film’s major plot points, if any, happen in the third act, but by the time the viewers get there, many would have already lost interest.
Phoenix and Gaga could have become the iconic Joker and Harley Quinn duo if they had been given material that did justice to the first film. The sequel’s budget saw a significant jump from approximately $70 million forJokerto $200 million forJoker: Folie à Deux(via Variety). It made a total of $206.4 million at the box office and was deemed a flop (via Box Office Mojo).
Joker: Folie à Deuxis now available for rent on AppleTV.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
