The Joker sequel is rumored to be in talks with a new cast member—and it may not be who you expect.
Academy Award-winning film Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, was one of the breakout blockbusters of 2019.
The film follows down-on-his-luck comedian Arthur Fleck, who works as a party clown by day and is a social outcast the rest of the time. The audience watches as Fleck descends into an unsettling and chaotic madness as he slowly becomes fan favorite Batman villain The Joker.
After seeing much success in theaters, alongside award nominations and media buzz, the film confirmed earlier this week a sequel is in the works.
Along with the sequel announcement came a cast list, which surprised the fanbase.
One of the stars in talks to play a major role in the film was none other than pop megastar and LGBTQ+ icon Lady Gaga.
Gaga is slated to play the Joker's girlfriend and partner in crime Harley Quinn, who originally served as the Batman villain's psychiatrist while he has being detained in maximum security prison Arkham Asylum, before she fell for the villain's corrupting charm and helped to free him.
The only actress to portray a live-action Harley Quinn until this point has been famed actress Margot Robbie, who starred as the unhinged beauty in films such as Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad.
Gaga, after mastering the musical arts, has been making a name for herself on the acting scene in projects such as A Star is Born, House of Gucci and multiple seasons of American Horror Story.
While Gaga has indeed starred in multiple quality film and television productions, the star's name attached to the Joker sequel understandably had fans scratching their heads.
But wait—it gets stranger.
It seems one reason the sequel producers may have reached out to Gaga to play such a critical role in the film is because it's supposed to be a musical.
Fans are both baffled and opinionated over the multiple unexpected bombs dropped during the sequel announcement.
\u201cA Joker sequel that\u2019s a musical with Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn is going to be a cultural reset.\u201d— Matt Ramos (@Matt Ramos) 1655166432
\u201c@DiscussingFilm Talk about a bad romance\u201d— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) 1655165340
\u201ci'm worried that Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn might just be a bit too subtle of a performance, yknow?\u201d— David Sims (@David Sims) 1655165370
\u201cIf lady gaga joins the cast of joker , she must change her name to \u201clady haha\u201d\u201d— Ed Zitron (@Ed Zitron) 1655172016
\u201clady gaga press tour where she describes her performance in joker 2 as grounded in commedia dell'arte\u201d— Jackson McHenry (@Jackson McHenry) 1655165641
\u201ci personally do not want lady gaga subjected to this\u201d— hunter harris (@hunter harris) 1655170507
\u201cit's so funny that joker was THE movie for straight men and now the sequel is a musical starring Lady Gaga...this is the biggest yassification in cinematic history \ud83d\ude2d #Joker2\u201d— kamala khan's lawyer (@kamala khan's lawyer) 1655174703
\u201cGaga\u2019s Harley Quinn accent is going to be life-changing. Know that.\u201d— Louis Peitzman (@Louis Peitzman) 1655171065
\u201c@DiscussingFilm She would kill the role\u201d— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) 1655165340
\u201cidk how you can\u2019t see the genius in joker 2: the musical starring lady gaga as harley quinn. i\u2019m in the theater on the edge of my seat when that drop idgaf\u201d— ramen noodles (@ramen noodles) 1655226828
As of this writing, Gaga, Phoenix nor Robbie have officially commented yet on the rumored casting.
@LarryBoorstein/X
@azealiaslacewig/X
@azealiaslacewig/X
@LongTimeHistory/X
Kristen Bell Awww GIF
Saturday Morning Friday GIF by Hello All
Happy Laugh GIF by Law & Order
@TheWhiteHouse/X