Skip to main content

Will there be a ‘Joker 3?’

'Joker: Folie a Deux' is not raking in nearly as much money as the first film did.

Man wearing "Joker" face paint
Jhefferson Santos / Pexels

Joker: Folie á Deux is failing to rake in the kind of massive box office performance that its predecessor did, and it’s also going over pretty poorly with both critics and fans. Following that icy reception, some are wondering whether there will be a third Joker movie. While it’s impossible to rule anything out indefinitely, the answer right now seems to be a pretty definitive no.

Director Todd Phillips, who made both the first Joker and this sequel, told The Hollywood Reporter that a third one doesn’t really seem like it’s in the cards.

Recommended Videos

“It’s not really where this movie is headed for me,” he told the publication. “I feel like my time in the DC Universe was these two films.”

He said something similar to Variety: “It was fun to play in this sort of sandbox for two movies, but I think we’ve said what we wanted to say in this world.”

Given the movie’s poorer than expected box office performance, it seems like this might be the moment to call it quits on the Joker experiment. There are also some textual reasons that make a third movie unlikely.

Warning: there are spoilers below for Joker: Folie á Deux

In addition to the fact that Phillips has no interest in making a third film, Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix’s main character, also doesn’t make it out of the second installment alive. In the film’s closing moments, he is murdered by a young man who may go on to be the real Joker, and we realize that much of what we saw at the end of the first movie was all in his head. So Arthur Fleck’s story is over, and with it, the Joker franchise might be as well.

Joe Allen
Joe Allen is a freelance culture writer based in upstate New York. His work has been published in The Washington Post, The…
Paramount Plus with Showtime just became Parmount Plus Premium
We don't think this signals any other changes to the service.
The Paramount Plus logo on a bright blue background.

Paramount Plus is trying to one-up HBO. Following the news that Max would be becoming HBO Max again, Paramount has announced its own name change. After killing the Showtime streaming service in 2024, Paramount is now rebranding Paramount Plus with Showtime as Paramount Plus Premium.

That change is effective as of June 23, and seems to signal one of the final death knells for Showtime as an independent brand. Paramount didn't announce any changes to the structure of the content you'll be getting at each subscription level, so it seems like what's actually changing is just the name. Paramount Plus Premium will get you access to all the shows that used to be Showtime shows, as well as more movies that aren't available with a standard subscription.

Read more
The best medical shows of all time to binge now
From ER to The Pitt, these are the best medical shows ever made
Noah Wyle in the Pitt

Throughout TV's long history, the medical drama has occupied a somewhat unique place in the landscape. Medical shows are often some of the most reliable on TV precisely because there's so much drama built in to working in a hospital.

Personally, I've found the medical drama to be deeply comforting for years, even if I have no desire to be a doctor myself. Understanding the stress of people in the healthcare profession is fascinating in and of itself.

Read more
The NBA’s ultimate celebration tool: The victory cigar
A look at the players and coaches who smoke to celebrate
Jordan smoking a cigar image on a bag

Sports are synonymous with celebration. After winning the biggest trophy of their lives, athletes want to indulge in the payoff that comes with seeing their dreams realized. Teams go into the locker room, where a waterfall of champagne hits them in the eyes, and swimming goggles seem to be a requirement, lest you walk around on the best night of your life half blind. While drinking is often the activity of choice after winning a championship, the NBA has an alternative symbol of greatness that other sports don't use nearly enough: the victory cigar.

Basketball is a team game, but it's also an individual canvas for solo superstardom. After winning an NBA championship, the coaches and players who sit atop the throne have long smoked a cigar in the locker room, during the parade, or even on the bench before the clock has hit zero. There's nothing quite like a good stogie to signify the ultimate win over the rest of the league, but how did the victory cigar get so ingrained in NBA championship celebrations? We want to take a walk down memory lane and look at some of the historical moments and people who made the cigar what it is within the NBA today.
Red Auerbach's victory cigar on the bench

Read more