If it weren’t for playing card packs created in the nineteenth century, the Joker from DC’s Batman comics may never have existed. The joker symbol first appeared on American playing cards in the 1860s after extra trump cards were added to the card game of Euchre.
Interestingly, the joker symbol was also being used in the east in the nineteenth century in the game mahjong. The tiles used in the Chinese game feature various symbols, including bamboo, dragons, and jokers. Today, there are various versions of mahjong available, most of which still use the original tile designs. For instance, you can play Mahjong Ways 2 at Casumo, which is a great slot game featuring mah-jong tiles.
As for the Joker character from Batman, he first appeared in the debut edition of the Batman comic book in 1940. He has appeared in numerous movies, TV shows, animations, and other media over the years. But it wasn’t until 2019 that the character got to star in his own eponymous movie; which was actually far removed from previous versions of the Joker seen in the DC Universe. The psychological thriller film, which was directed and co-written by Todd Phillips, won numerous awards after its release and is generally considered to be one of the greatest films of the twenty-first century. Todd Phillips repeatedly said he had no intentions to make a sequel to Joker. However, it now looks likely that Joker 2 is on its way.
So, is Joker 2 happening?
All that’s currently known about a Joker sequel is based on a short report from May 2021 in The Hollywood Reporter. It stated that Todd Phillips had struck a deal to co-write the next instalment of Joker. No other details have been released and Phillips hasn’t commented. While that’s exciting news for Joker fans, it also brings up lots of questions.
When will Joker 2 be released? Could some of the same cast return? What could a potential plot be? At the end of the day, such questions must go unanswered at present. However, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of speculation.
When could Joker 2 be released?
The first Joker script took a year to be written, so expect it to take another year before the script to Joker 2 is completed if all runs smoothly. However, unlike other comic book films that heavily use CGI and big action sequences, the first Joker was a very subdued movie, so it only took twelve weeks to shoot and post-production was speedy.
It’s likely Joker 2 would follow the same format and procedure, which means it could potentially be ready by the beginning of 2023. But don’t hold your breath.
Who will star in Joker 2?
You couldn’t make Joker 2 without Joaquin Phoenix in the title role. So, while nothing has been confirmed, Phoenix simply must return if Joker 2 does get made. The only other character from the original film who could return is the Joker’s love interest Sophie Dumond, played by Zazie Beetz, as she was the only main character not to die in the first Joker.
What could be the plot of Joker 2?
Seeing as Arthur Fleck, AKA the Joker, ends up being arrested and taken to Gotham State Hospital at the end of the first film, it’s difficult to guess what the plot of Joker 2 could be.
Breaking out of hospital and coming up with an evil master plan isn’t Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker’s style at all, so perhaps the story will involve more of a deeper character study of the newly-imprisoned Joker. Only time will tell.
