Joker 2 May Feature A Secret Villain Whose Identity Has Been Revealed

It's a light year for comic book movies (relatively speaking), in no small part because the Marvel Cinematic Universe is only bringing us "Deadpool & Wolverine," while the DC slate is also slim. But DC's lone release this year will pack a punch: "Joker: Folie a Deux," aka "Joker 2," is coming down the pipeline in October. As the sequel to the biggest R-rated movie in cinema history, all eyes are on this one. And not just because Joaquin Phoenix is back as Arthur Fleck, but because Lady Gaga is playing Harley Quinn as well. To add to the intrigue, it looks like another classic DC Comics villain is going to be involved in the proceedings.

A new full-length trailer for "Joker: Folie a Deux" dropped today, which offers a better sense of the musical-driven chaos that director Todd Phillips is bringing to the sequel. The captions contain a pretty big reveal that comes early on, as a voice heard off-screen is credited to none other than Gotham City's own Harvey Dent. This, of course, is the man who eventually becomes Two-Face, one of Batman's most notorious foes.

"They believe Arthur Fleck to be some kind of martyr. Well, he's not. He's a monster," Dent says in the trailer. We never actually get a look at the actor, so it's anyone's guess as to who is playing Dent, though Harry Lawtey ("The Pale Blue Eye") is in the film, very much looks the part, and his role has yet to be revealed. That's pure speculation at this point, but whether it's Lawtey or someone else, a classic DC villain is joining the "Joker" universe.

This will be the first time an actor has played the role in a live-action film since Aaron Eckhart in 2008's "The Dark Knight." Misha Collins recently played the part in the short-lived "Gotham Knights" series on The CW, while Nicholas D'Agosto brought the character to life on Fox's "Gotham." But Harvey Dent/Two-Face has been absent from the big screen for some time.

There are some significant implications of bringing Harvey Dent into the "Joker" universe. These are films told from a villain's perspective, though it seems like Phillips is trying to play with that a bit, as the new trailer shows us that sections of Gotham have embraced Arthur Fleck as some kind of misunderstood hero. That's where Dent would surely come into play, as the man on the right side of the law who is trying to bring the Clown Prince of Crime to justice. (In Batman comics, movies, and TV shows, Harvey Dent is Gotham City's district attorney.) In this way, his inclusion makes sense.

It's worth noting that the character we hear seems to be Dent and not Two-Face, which is a hugely important distinction. Let's also not forget that Phillips' take on these events in the broader DC Universe is akin to an Elseworlds tale. The original "Joker" included a very young Bruce Wayne and a Joker in his 40s, meaning the whole Batman/Joker dynamic we know would probably be thrown out of whack. It's entirely possible that this film could give us a unique spin on Dent as well.

Who knows? Maybe Arthur and Harley end up as responsible parties in turning Dent into Two-Face. Even if that happens, one imagines it will be a far cry from what Tommy Lee Jones did with the character in "Batman Forever," for example. We'd surely be looking at a more grounded take on the villain. This also makes those debunked rumors of Boyd Holbrook playing Harvey Dent in "The Batman: Part II" all the more interesting. It seems DC has other plans for the character in the immediate future.

"Joker: Folie a Deux" is set to hit theaters on October 4, 2024.