Joker: Folie à Deux Box Office Bomb: A Disaster for the DCU, Regardless of Responsibility!
Joker 2's Flop: Why It Matters Even If James Gunn Wasn't Involved
Joker: Folie à Deux bombed. Hard. This musical sequel to Todd Phillips' 2019 hit totally underperformed, and this has serious implications for the relaunchedDCU (despite having almost nothing to do with it). The originalJokerwas a box office sensation—a billion-dollar R-rated hit, showcasing that those artistic and creative risks and approaches can sometimes totally pay off big time. That success can generate momentum, leading to further expansions!
However, that success had some drawbacks: That decision to launch a sequel and this approach was initially met with considerable skepticism: The five-year gap between movies involved significant changes. This massive restructuring involved those key decision makers in the new team hired atWarner Bros., withJames GunnandPeter Safrantaking the reins; thus, it meant a relaunch that cancelled past projects, replaced many key actors and rebooted theDCEUas theDCU. The movie was launched years after its conception and after significant changes in those key production teams, creating that significant distance between the original project's conception and its execution.
Gunn's Hands Were Tied (But the Fallout Still Affects Him)
WhileGunnnow has huge sway over theDCU,Joker: Folie à Deuxwas already well underway. He watched and even offered notes (perGunn'sThreads post); those suggestions were only part of the larger decision process that involved multiple individuals and this movie remained firmly underPhillips'control, withGunnmaking the statements: "Todd had Joker in full swing by the time we came onboard - I’ve watched and given notes, but it is mostly with WB, where it started. Everything forward in live-action we’re involved with."
That lack of involvement actually didn’t helpJoker 2, possibly highlighting that a larger perspective—one removed from that potentially intimate experience only achievable within that specific directorial viewpoint might be missing: This severely affected the project, possibly demonstrating a failure of foresight: it might’ve lacked a sufficient level of testing before being shown publicly, leading to the final product feeling underwhelming for the general public; especially compared to the quality in the first installment.
Why Joker 2's Failure Still Hurts the DCU
Even withoutGunn'sdirect involvement; its terrible performance badly impacts theDCU! That’s because the audience’s overall trust inDChas completely evaporated; this was made very clear through various missteps by those key creatives within that particular studio; TheDCEUwas, until recently a collection of failed projects and missed opportunities;even successful titles (Wonder Woman,Aquaman) suffered delays or failed to create consistent ongoing enthusiasm. And when big pushes, using marketing with high-profile actors (such asThe Rockbringing backHenry Cavill) ultimately fail. The larger, rebootedDCUfaces enormous problems. Trust has been irrevocably damaged!
Joker 2didn’t improve it! It generated exactly the kind of disastrous outcomes the DC creative team could least afford to happen during this specific, critically important time, which severely damaged that necessary goodwill required for rebuilding trust amongst its prior audiences and critics! While the failure remainsGunn’sfault; there's another more important aspect for consideration: many people chose not to watchJoker 2because they knew it'd fail; and now this generates an immediate problem that prevents those large audiences previously enthusiastic, from ever coming back.
The DCU Needs a Comeback (and Fast!)
Joker: Folie à Deuxdemonstrates just how serious the consequences truly are, forGunnand theDCU: it leaves a small amount of room for forgiveness; which shows another thing: they’re in serious trouble if they keep up this kind of poor showing for DCU movies. Those upcomingDCUTV shows might be huge; however that large success needs to eventually impact box office success for the movies! ThoseDCheroes need the public's excitement, but it might all completely fail if the movies bomb – creating a bigger issue: losing money leads to decreased investment.
This seriously affects the situation in some important ways. Those upcoming movies using Superman andBatmancarry massive importance!Gunnneeds to completely recapture public trust, using brilliant trailers to sell movies; this makes his previous work entirely irrelevant unless the newer output also improves and generates excitement and momentum.Many are unlikely to watch hisDCUunless shown compelling and engaging plots which could convince a severely disenfranchised audience.
Conclusion: Can Gunn’s DCU Rise from the Ashes of Joker 2's Failure?
Joker: Folie à Deuxfailed; but that was primarily due to the movie's inherent flaws; primarily due to those failures of oversight in the production rather thanGunn’sdirect actions; this however only emphasizes another issue and highlights just how risky these large production studios' ventures actually are: That lack of quality oversight has massive consequences.
For theDCU?Gunnneeds a win and he needs that win sooner rather than later! Those upcoming releases seriously need to generate box office numbers, or his own position within that studio could be entirely at risk, demonstrating that not just taking responsibility; but understanding just what is needed is critical. A comeback needs that amazing narrative spark. This entire venture is going to critically rely on getting viewers' interest and excitement once more.That task now becomes much harder; requiring considerable efforts, talent, and insights only achievable with deep focus, planning and sufficient execution! Otherwise, that rebootedDCUis a doomed endeavor from the outset.