Joker: Folie à Deux has become this year’s biggest case of all hype and no payoff. Before its big debut at Venice, the Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga starrer was riding a high wave of excitement among fans, who expected the movie to create a similar, if not better, impact than the first billion-dollar installment. Some even claimed that Todd Phillips’ latest could give big hits like Deadpool & Wolverine a real challenge at the box office. However, in a twist of fate, the second installment saw its review scores and box-office projections tumble right away. 

Here are the reasons that might have sent this movie crashing into the vitriol of DC loyalist, as soon as it hit the big screens. 

Joker: Folie à Deux strived too hard to be an artsy musical film but fell short. While the first Joker provided a solid origin story for the villain, Folie à Deux completely tore that down, introducing a new Joker with a different backstory, motivations, and approach to chaos. In the first part, Joker had the entire world at his fingertips, and the expansive settings allowed him to unleash his unimaginable abilities.

In contrast, the sequel felt quite limited, allowing viewers to focus mainly on Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga as they navigate a world far removed from the one they previously inhabited. Also, so much for it being a musical, Todd Phillips barely dipped into the musical side of things- and the performances in between also did not hit the right note. But the biggest letdown was how Lady Gaga's talent went to waste. While fans loved her take on Harley Quinn visually, her acting and singing skills were hardly tapped into in the film.

Lady Gaga Has the Entire Internet Swoon Over Her Singing in 'Joker: Folie à Deux'

Now, the creator of the standalone Joker movies has also decided to walk away from the franchise.

Joker: Folie à Deux has been extracting polarizing opinions. What started as a 61% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes has now taken a nosedive to a dismal 39%. Domestic box office projections have also dropped in the last two days- about half of what was anticipated just over a month ago. To top it all off, director Todd Phillips has announced his departure from the Joker franchise and the DCU altogether.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Phillips opened up about his plans for the DCU following Joker: Folie à Deux and was asked whether he would consider making a standalone film for Lady Gaga’s character, Harley Quinn. Phillips straightforwardly stated, “I feel like my time in the DC Universe was these two films.” With that in mind, can we safely say that the Joker franchise has come to a close?

No Psychiatric Nurse, Lady Gaga Is All Positive About Her Filming Experience at ‘Joker: Folie à Deux,’ Compared to ‘House of Gucci’

Let us know what you think about Joker’s future in the comments below!