Joker 2 Box Office Failure: What Went Wrong and What It Means for the DCU

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 relaunched DCU (despite having almost nothing to do with it). The original Joker was 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 at Warner Bros., with James Gunn and Peter Safran taking the reins; thus, it meant a relaunch that cancelled past projects, replaced many key actors and rebooted the DCEU as the DCU. 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.

Also Read: Joker: Folie à Deux - Batman, Harley Quinn, and the Twisted Relationship

Gunn's Hands Were Tied (But the Fallout Still Affects Him)

Harley Quinn and Joker from Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) above a background of dollar bills Image

While Gunn now has huge sway over the DCU, Joker: Folie à Deux was already well underway. He watched and even offered notes (per Gunn's Threads post); those suggestions were only part of the larger decision process that involved multiple individuals and this movie remained firmly under Phillips' control, with Gunn making 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 help Joker 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.

Also Read: Superman Movie 2025: James Gunn's DCU Reboot

Why Joker 2's Failure Still Hurts the DCU

Joaquin Phoenix's Joker looking angry at the Joker dressed in a white suit with darkness around him Image

Even without Gunn's direct involvement; its terrible performance badly impacts the DCU! That’s because the audience’s overall trust in DC has completely evaporated; this was made very clear through various missteps by those key creatives within that particular studio; The DCEU was, 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 as The Rock bringing back Henry Cavill) ultimately fail. The larger, rebooted DCU faces enormous problems. Trust has been irrevocably damaged!

Joker 2 didn’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 remains Gunn’s fault; there's another more important aspect for consideration: many people chose not to watch Joker 2 because they knew it'd fail; and now this generates an immediate problem that prevents those large audiences previously enthusiastic, from ever coming back.

Also Read: DCU Superman Costume: Breakdown and Comparison to Every Live-Action Version!.

The DCU Needs a Comeback (and Fast!)

Joker: Folie A Deux official poster Image

Joker: Folie à Deux demonstrates just how serious the consequences truly are, for Gunn and the DCU: 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 upcoming DCU TV shows might be huge; however that large success needs to eventually impact box office success for the movies! Those DC heroes 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 and Batman carry massive importance! Gunn needs 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 his DCU unless shown compelling and engaging plots which could convince a severely disenfranchised audience.

Also Read: Batman's White Eyes: How 'Batman v Superman' Made Them Work In Live-Action

Conclusion: Can Gunn’s DCU Rise from the Ashes of Joker 2's Failure?

Joker: Folie à Deux failed; but that was primarily due to the movie's inherent flaws; primarily due to those failures of oversight in the production rather than Gunn’s direct 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 the DCU? Gunn needs 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 rebooted DCU is a doomed endeavor from the outset.