The first trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux has sparked several wild fan theories about the relationship between Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn.
The trailer for the upcoming sequel debuted during Warner Bros.' CinemaCon presentation, and it has already taken the internet by storm. The footage shows the Clown Prince of Crime finding his princess in fellow Arkham Asylum patient Harley Quinn, as a carousel of clips captures their courtship.
One of the more striking elements of the trailer is how it appears to switch from what could be described as the pair's romantic delusions to a much grimmer existence, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, in turn sending some fans spiraling over the potential plot twists and character arcs that might play out.
Joker and Harley's relationship is an inverse of the comics
The trailer confirmed a significant change in Harley's story, with her now being a patient at Arkham Asylum rather than a psychiatrist like in the comics. Some fans think the story will flip the script further by positioning Harley as the antagonist who influences Arthur to embrace his clown persona rather than him corrupting her.
Speculation arose on both X/Twitter and Reddit, where one person quizzed: "Anyone else get the feeling that The Joker/Harley relationship is going to be an inverse of their comic portrayal? I'm thinking Arthur is trying not to relapse back into his Joker persona but Harley is the one influencing him more to embrace it."
Harley is a figment of Joker's imagination
Another popular theory is that Harley only exists in Joker's imagination, rather than being a real-life figure in the movie. Some people waved red flags when they heard her telling him (and the audience), "I'm nobody," while others examined the visual clues that might suggest he has once again made it all up inside his mind.
Musical moments take place in the minds of Joker and Harley
"Folie à Deux" is defined as a delusion or mental illness shared by two people in close association, and after watching the trailer fans are convinced this implies that Joker and Harley are sharing the same psychological challenges, with the movie's musical moments being a manifestation of that as opposed to reality.
One person on X/Twitter described the symphonious scenes as the "special place" Joker and Harley go to "escape the real world," and another pointed out the similarities between a choreographed number and a "real-life" scene of the twirling twosome. Others wondered if the delusions derive from one-half of the pair.
The musical element has been a big point of curiosity leading up to Joker: Folie à Deux, but director Todd Phillips confirmed at CinemaCon that the upcoming movie is not a full-on musical, contrary to past reports. He instead described the music as an "essential element," noting that Arthur Fleck has always had "music in him."
Fans will have to wait a little longer to find out what it all means, as Joker: Folie à Deux debuts in theaters on October 4, 2024.
