The Joker: Folie à Deux Musical Mystery—5 Shocking Facts About The Sequel’s Genre

The question of whether *Joker: Folie à Deux* is a musical has been the most talked-about mystery in cinema since the sequel was first announced. As of December 12, 2025, the answer is far more complex than a simple 'yes' or 'no,' with the film's cast and director offering conflicting statements that only fuel the hype surrounding Arthur Fleck's return. The sequel, which pairs Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck with Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn, is confirmed to be a film that heavily incorporates music, but its classification as a traditional "musical" is a subject of intense debate, making the genre itself a key part of the movie's psychological narrative. The follow-up to the 2019 Oscar-winning psychological thriller, *Joker: Folie à Deux*, is set to be a groundbreaking and controversial entry into the DC Elseworlds lineup. The film's musical elements are deeply tied to the core theme of the title, *Folie à Deux*, a clinical term for a shared delusional disorder, suggesting that the music and singing may be manifestations of the shared psychosis between the two main characters, Arthur and Harleen Quinzel. This deliberate ambiguity is what makes the film a fresh and unique cinematic experience.

The Confirmed Cast and Creative Team Behind the Joker Sequel

The success of the first *Joker* film, which earned Joaquin Phoenix an Academy Award, set an incredibly high bar for the sequel. Director Todd Phillips has brought back the core creative team while adding one of the world’s biggest music and acting stars to the mix.

• Title: *Joker: Folie à Deux* (French for "madness for two")
• Director: Todd Phillips (Returning from the original *Joker*)
• Screenwriters: Todd Phillips and Scott Silver (Co-wrote the original script)
• Lead Cast:
  • Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck / Joker (Returning)
  • Lady Gaga as Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn (New to the franchise)
  • Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond (Returning)
  • Brendan Gleeson in an undisclosed role (New)
  • Catherine Keener in an undisclosed role (New)
• Setting: The film's primary setting is reported to be Arkham State Hospital, where Arthur Fleck was incarcerated at the end of the first film.
• Release Date: October 4, 2024

1. It Is Officially a "Jukebox Musical"

Despite the initial shock and confusion from fans, multiple reports and industry sources have confirmed that *Joker: Folie à Deux* is, at its core, a jukebox musical. This distinction is crucial and immediately sets it apart from traditional musicals. A jukebox musical is one that primarily features well-known, existing songs rather than original compositions.

The term "jukebox musical" implies that the film will use established pop, rock, or classic standards to advance the plot and express the characters' internal states. This approach aligns perfectly with the psychological nature of the *Joker* universe, where reality is constantly questioned.

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2. The Soundtrack Will Feature At Least 15 Cover Songs

One of the most concrete details revealed about the film's musical nature is the sheer volume of music. Sources indicate that the movie will feature at least 15 reinterpretations of "very well-known" songs. This is a significant number that will heavily influence the film's tone and pacing.

This reliance on cover songs, rather than a fully original score with new songs, supports the "jukebox musical" label. The choice of these 15+ songs remains a closely guarded secret, but their selection will undoubtedly be a key element in conveying the emotional and delusional state of Arthur and Harleen. The music will likely serve as a soundtrack to their shared descent into madness within the confines of Arkham.

3. Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn is a "Music Therapist"

The introduction of Lady Gaga as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, who later becomes Harley Quinn, is the single biggest factor driving the musical speculation. Given Lady Gaga’s global status as a pop icon and Oscar-nominated actress for *A Star Is Born*, her involvement immediately suggested a singing role.

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Early plot details suggest that Harleen Quinzel is a music therapist at Arkham State Hospital who becomes obsessed with and falls in love with her patient, Arthur Fleck. This professional background provides a natural, narrative-driven reason for music to be central to the film. Instead of spontaneous, unrealistic song-and-dance numbers, the music could originate from therapy sessions, internal fantasies, or shared hallucinations between the two deeply disturbed characters.

Her character’s journey from a professional therapist to the Joker’s partner in crime, fueled by a shared delusion (*Folie à Deux*), is expected to be expressed through the musical numbers, making the music a tool for psychological breakdown rather than simple entertainment.

4. Director Todd Phillips Calls the Music "Dialogue"

Perhaps the most fascinating and contradictory piece of information comes directly from the creative team, which complicates the "musical" label. When asked directly if *Joker: Folie à Deux* is a musical, director Todd Phillips offered a nuanced and thought-provoking response:

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"Most of the music in the movie is really just dialogue. It's just the way they communicate with each other."

This statement, echoed by Lady Gaga herself who said the film isn't "really a musical," suggests that the songs are not traditional musical theater pieces. Instead, they function as an elevated form of emotional expression, a way for Arthur and Harleen to speak to each other and the world when words fail. This aligns with the psychological thriller genre of the first film, using the musical element to explore the inner turmoil and shared psychosis of the main characters.

The music, therefore, is an extension of the characters' madness, not a simple genre shift. This narrative technique ensures the sequel remains grounded in the gritty, dark reality established by the first *Joker*, even with the presence of singing and dancing. This is a key distinction for fans worried about the film becoming too light or stylized.

5. The Film’s Musicality is a Psychological Delusion

The most compelling theory—and the one most supported by the title and director's comments—is that the musical numbers are entirely subjective. The use of the *Folie à Deux* concept means that the reality of the singing and dancing may be confined entirely to the minds of Arthur Fleck and Harleen Quinzel.

In this interpretation, the audience is viewing the world through the lens of their shared delusion. When they break into a song-and-dance routine, the characters around them may not perceive it the same way, or at all. This maintains the unsettling, unreliable narrator perspective that made the original *Joker* so effective.

The film is not just a musical; it is a psychological exploration of shared madness that uses the language of music and performance to illustrate a break from reality. This innovative approach to the superhero genre sequel is what makes *Joker: Folie à Deux* one of the most anticipated and debated films of the year, promising a dark, intense, and musically-charged experience that redefines what a comic book movie can be.