Ever since its devastating theatrical debut last weekend,Joker: Folie à Deuxhas become a hot topic among DCU fans and critics alike on social media. But Todd Phillips’s disappointing sequel isn’t the only film dominating the Internet – the subject of the canceledBatgirlmovie has also made a resurgence, as it often tends to do whenever Warner Bros. drops a box office bomb.
Batgirl, starringIn the Heightsactress Leslie Grace,was famously scrapped back in August 2022 despite completing production– a controversial choice that sparked immediate backlash among DCU fans. Although ultimately withheld from the silver screen, the film has since become immortalized as a lasting example of Warner Bros.’s unpopular judgment calls. Now, withJoker: Folie à Deuxtanking spectacularly in theaters, fans are once again questioning the future of Warner Bros. films.
In many ways,Batgirlseemed almost guaranteed to succeed, whereasJoker: Folie à Deuxfaced significantly longer odds even before its release.Batgirl’s production cost was a mild $90 million, with household names like Brendan Fraser and Michael Keaton rounding out the main cast, whileset photos also demonstrated the film’s stunning practical effects and costuming. In stark contrast,Joker: Folie à Deuxwas reportedly made on a budget of $200 million, yet Warner Bros. failed to test screen the film and also admitted to rewriting the script “on the fly” during production. As a result, disillusioned DCU fans have begun to criticize the logic of scrapping promising projects likeBatgirl, while simultaneously spending millions more to debut haphazardly constructed stories likeJoker: Folie à Deux.
Joker: Folie à Deux Rotten Tomatoes Update Is a Tragedy
Joker 2 has fared far worse with critics than anyone expected.
Warner Bros. May Be Heading for Trouble AfterJoker: Folie à DeuxFlop
Critics haverippedJoker: Folie à Deuxapartever since its theatrical release less than a week ago. Though not the least successful Warner Bros. film – that dubious honor belongs toThe Flash –the highly anticipated film opened at only $40 million at the domestic box office, earning just $121 million globally. Unfortunately, theJokerflop comes on the heels of Warners' merger with Discovery, which led to massive stock losses and no small amount of debt. The bottom line: Warner Bros. needs to make a successful movie – and fast.
WithJoker: Folie à Deuxperforming so poorly, the expectations for future Warner Bros. productions are higher than ever. Although it’s unlikely thatBatgirlwill be revived – since Warner Bros. earned about $30 million in tax benefits by writing off the film – there are a few promising projects on the horizon.Supermanis expected to hit theaters in July 2025, while Robert Pattinson is slated to reprise his largely well-received iteration of Batman in 2026.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips' critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker’s lover Harley Quinn in this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
