New York City – Lady Gaga has unveiled her much-anticipated portrayal of Harley Quinn in the upcoming Joker sequel, marking her official debut as the iconic character’s voice. The new film, titled Joker: Folie à Deux, will feature Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role as the titular character alongside Gaga, born Stefani Germanotta, as Harley Quinn.
In a brief audio preview shared on the movie’s official TikTok account, Lady Gaga channels a raspy and alluring whisper as she delivers the line: “You can do anything you want. You’re Joker.” This marks a significant departure from previous portrayals of Harley Quinn, a character often depicted with a Brooklyn accent since her inception in the 1992 action series Batman: The Animated Series.
Margot Robbie, who has portrayed Harley Quinn in the DC Extended Universe’s live-action projects, including Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey, expressed her excitement for Gaga’s take on the character. While Robbie has not yet spoken to Gaga about passing the torch, she believes that the singer will “crush it” in the role.
The 2019 film Joker, which explored the descent of Arthur Fleck into madness and his transformation into the Joker, was a critical and commercial success, earning Phoenix an Oscar for Best Actor and grossing over $1 billion at the box office. Director Todd Phillips recently gave fans a first look at Gaga in the role by sharing a picture of Phoenix and Gaga in character on Valentine’s Day.
Scheduled for release on October 4, 2024, the sequel is set to continue the story of Fleck’s reign of terror in New York City. Gaga was spotted filming on location in the Bronx last year, where she was seen dancing to the tune of “Rock and Roll Part 2” by Gary Glitter. It remains to be seen if this dance sequence will be included in the final cut of the film.
With fans eagerly awaiting the return of the Joker universe, Gaga’s portrayal of Harley Quinn is poised to bring a fresh perspective to the iconic character, adding a new layer of intrigue to the highly anticipated sequel.