Do you know which was the most anticipated film of 2024? Well, if you don’t know, it is Joker 2, the film which was a sequel to the 2019 film Joker. The fans and critics eagerly waited for this particular film for one single reason: the predecessor that came in 2019 was a tremendous success both critically and commercially, so everyone expected that the film would successfully carry out the legacy of the first film.
The film was released on 2 October 2024, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in the lead roles, with Todd Phillips helming up the chair as director once again. Now, the main question in this context is if the film successfully lived up to the hype of its predecessor or if this film fell into the category of the rotten sequel of a masterpiece prequel genre.
Is Joker 2 living up to the hype of its predecessor?
Unfortunately, the film went into the second category and now fans and critics both are describing this film as the worst film of 2024.
The majority of the critics found the sequel to be a crash-grabbing attempt from WarnerBro, as they felt the sequel was completely unfocused. Some of them even say that the film is enough to traumatize the audience regarding their cinematic experience and how Todd Phillips, with this film, has completely killed the comic book movies.
Besides the acting and storytelling, the first instalment also gained notable praise for its music score; however, in this sequel, many critics even slammed the music, calling it extremely annoying.
The film has officially been declared as the worst superhero film on the CinemaScore website with a D rating, whereas a majority of the comic book-based films here normally get a rating of A to C.
Posttrack, a company which mainly surveys film audiences, also showed the figures that the majority of the audience had rated Joker 2 with 1 rating, with only 23 percent of them have stated that they would definitely recommend it to a friend.
The fans have also equally panned this film as fans have  rated this film 0/10 and some even said the film is completely a waste of time.
Some even went further and stated that they defiantly seek to go to the hospital due to watching one of the worst movies ever of 2024, which is Joker 2.
The film successfully failed to live up to the hype can also seen when it comes to the IMDB, Google rating and Rotten Tomatoes scores of the film especially if we compare it with the 2019 film below
| Movie | IMDb Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Score | Google Ratings |
| Joker (2019) | 8.4/10 | 68% | 4.4/5 |
| Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) |        5.3/10 | 32% | 1.8/5 |
I know you must be wondering what are the reasons why it failed miserably especially when it was the sequel of a film which was a huge success in the box office as well as among fans and critics.
Why Joker 2 failed to create the magic?
One of the main reasons, as the fans and critics pointed out in this process, is that Joker 2 heavily wasted too much time on song and dance numbers, which most of the time felt like it was completely pointless. This also made the film effectively ignore various things which could have made an interesting plot point for the sequel.
Also, the fans felt that the sequel was forced and unnecessary and many images and scenes for them felt like a cheap callback from the first movies. Also, characters like Arthur’s neighbour Sophie and his dwarf friend and former coworker  Gary have built up with such a potential characteristic element in the first instalment. In the sequel, both of the characters were completely wasted and reduced to a blink-and-miss appearance.
Besides that, the film also played the biggest gamble when it made the departure from its genre. The first film was a psychological thriller; however, the sequel is all about music, and honestly, this genre is not as popular as it once was. Mixing the musical genre with dark crime drama and targeting two different audiences at the same time was the biggest reason why this film failed to live up to the stage which has established by the 2019 film.
The worldwide box office collection of Joker 2
As of the present day, this is what the worldwide  box office figures for Joker 2 look like :
| Item | Amount |
| Budget | $190-200 million |
| Box Office | $167.7 million |
In the comparison of the 2019 film, this is heavily downgraded as the 2019 film made 1 billion on a budget of 70 million. The film has officially been declared as a box office bomb.
Will there be Joker 3?
One of the main reasons why there will be no Joker 3 is not only due to the film got panned critically and commercially, but also because the director Todd Phillips has stated in his interview that he is moving from the DC universe and this film was the last he made under DC banner. Besides that, Warner Brothers now want to keep heavy focus on James Gunn’s newly launched shared cinematic universe, which is DCU and the Matt Reeves Batman Epic Crime Saga universe for DC films.
Plot of Joker 2
It take place in 1983, two years after the event of the Joker film. Arthur, who has been locked up in Arkham State Hospital, faced a struggle with this dual identity as Joker. In this process, he meets the love of his life in the Arkham State Hospital which is Lee Quinzel another inmate. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent, the newly appointed District Attorney of Gotham City, plans to prosecute Arthur for his crime.
The cast of Joker 2
| Actor | Character | |
| Joaquin Phoenix | Arthur Fleck / Joker | |
| Lady Gaga | Lee Quinzel / Harley Quinn | |
| Brendan Gleeson | Jackie Sullivan | |
| Catherine Keener | Maryanne Stewart | |
| Zazie Beetz | Sophie Dumond | |
| Steve Coogan | Paddy Meyers | |
| Harry Lawtey | Harvey Dent | |
| Leigh Gill | Gary Puddles | |
| Ken Leung | Dr. Victor Liu | |
| Jacob Lofland | Ricky Meline | |
| Bill Smitrovich | Judge Herman Rothwax | |
| Sharon Washington | Debra Kane | |
| Alfred Rubin Thompson | Ernie Bullock | |
| Connor Storrie | Young Inmate |
FAQ
Did Joker: Folie à Deux live up to the hype ?
No, Joker 2 was considered a disappointment by fans and critics. It received lower ratings than the first film and was described as unfocused and even traumatizing.
Why did Joker: Folie à Deux fail?
Several reasons are cited: excessive and pointless musical numbers, a forced and unnecessary plot, underdeveloped characters, and a genre shift from psychological thriller to musical.
How did Joker: Folie à Deux perform at the box office?
Joker 2 was a box office bomb, grossing only $167.7 million compared to the first film’s $1 billion on a smaller budget.
Will there be a Joker 3?
It’s unlikely. The film’s poor reception combined with the director’s intent to move on from DC and Warner Bros.’ focus on other cinematic universes suggest there won’t be a sequel.
What is the plot of Joker: Folie à Deux?
Set in 1983, the film explores Arthur’s struggles with his dual identity while incarcerated and his relationship with a fellow inmate, Lee Quinzel (Harley Quinn). 1 It also features Harvey Dent’s pursuit of justice for Arthur’s crimes.
