Lady Gaga Confirms Her Role As Harley Quinn In 'Joker: Folie À Deux' By Sharing Teaser Video

Lady Gaga will officially be joining the cast of Joker: Folie à Deux with Joaquin Phoenix. The news was confirmed on Thursday, August 4, 2022, when Gaga posted a short video indicating her involvement in the musical as fan-favorite Harley Quinn, PEOPLE reported.

For those unfamiliar with the Joker-Harley lore, the two meet at Arkham Asylum where she was his psychiatrist, Dr. Harleen Quinzel. Over time, the two become love interests and she joins Joker in criminal mischief. The two are seen together in multiple iterations of Batman comics. However, there are editions where Quinn gets into a relationship with Poison Ivy, a recent development that has eclipsed her long-standing, mostly abusive relationship with Joker. 

Gaga's Harley Quinn will definitely serve as a partner to Joker in some capacity. Whether that partnership becomes romantic or not will only be confirmed with an official teaser or trailer. Most people remember Margot Robbie’s performance as Harley Quinn in films like Suicide Squad (2016), Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (2020), and The Suicide Squad (2021). Gaga’s Harley Quinn will be set in another DC universe.  

The Hollywood Reporter had initially broken the news that Lady Gaga was having conversations with the studio about playing Harley Quinn. Considering the sequel is going to be a musical, Gaga would be a great fit for the film. The video she posted on Twitter features a vintage, instrumental version of the song Cheek to Cheek, which Gaga had also covered with Tony Bennett, Variety reported. The Oscar Award winner, Phoenix was seen reading the script in June when Todd Phillips, who is set to direct the sequel as well, posted two pictures on his Instagram account. One of them served as a reveal for the title, while the second one showed Phoenix reading the script. Phillips joined Scott Silver to write the script. 

The title of the film wonderfully sets up the dynamic between Harley Quinn and Joker. The term 'folie á deux' refers to a “rare delusional disorder shared by two or more people with close emotional ties.” Production for the film is rumored to start in December 2022. With Gaga confirmed to play Harley Quinn, there is a whole playground for the Oscar-winning duo to make their mark on audiences. It wouldn’t be surprising if the film picks up multiple Academy Award and Grammy Award nominations. 

Joker: Folie á Deux is set to release in theatres on October 4, 2024.