The Villain Joker: Folie à Deux Needs To Add To Its Cast Should Be Obvious
"Joker" ends with failed comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) in full supervillain mode. After the main character appears on Murray Franklin's (Robert De Niro) talk show and kills the host, the movie takes a steep turn from a dark, small-scale character drama to gleeful, violent anarchy, as Arthur's actions inspire city-wide mobs. In the very end of the movie, he's locked in Arkham State Hospital as a full-on, cackling, highly dangerous criminal, who's mischievously running around the corridors after quite possibly committing a brutal attack on his psychiatrist (April Grace). Arthur's transformation into a leading member of Bruce Wayne's (Dante Pereira-Olson) eventual rogues gallery is now complete.
Because of this abrupt and deliberate mood shift, it's anyone's guess how the story will proceed from here. The original movie's "Taxi Driver" vibes and the air of thinly veiled desperation Phoenix gives to the slight, fragile main character make for a pretty heavy, dramatic viewing experience. As such, the fact that Todd Phillips' "Joker: Folie à Deux" will reportedly be a musical is pretty surprising. It implies that whatever the sequel's tone will be, there'll at least be that certain air of whimsy which is virtually unavoidable with the musical genre.
Further adding to the confusion about the sequel is the news that Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn will be part of the movie. While Gaga is a tried and tested musician and actor, her past roles range from romance drama ("A Star is Born") to supernatural horror ("American Horror Story"). This is no doubt helpful for portraying a multi-faceted character like Harley, but less ideal for fans trying to get an idea of "Folie à Deux's" intended tone.
Before footage of the sequel actually emerges, there's no way of knowing how much the movie will lean into musical light-heartedness. However, since the genre and the Joker's very character pretty much guarantee a certain amount of absurdity, the movie should absolutely look into casting the most musical Batman villain in existence: Music Meister.
Music Meister is the must-have guy in a Batman villain musical
Let's be honest, here: Music Meister isn't going to win the "Coolest Batman Villain" award any time soon. A flamboyant super-criminal who can hypnotize people with his singing, the mysterious character carries a weaponized microphone baton, and often changes costumes to reflect the music style he's utilizing. In other words, his powers are custom made for a musical setting.
Even if you don't count his obvious usefulness in a musical, Music Meister has the potential to be a fantastic "Joker: Folie à Deux" character. For one, he's a fresh face. Per Comic Book, he's primarily known for his appearance in the "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" animated series, where he's voiced by Neil Patrick Harris. In fact, Music Meister was only added in the official comics canon in 2022. Despite this, he's not the kind of absurd villain who would never work in a live action setting. In fact, he's already appeared in both "The Flash" and "Supergirl," as portrayed by "Glee" and "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" star Darren Criss.
Since Music Meister is a relatively little-known character, the makers of "Joker: Folie à Deux" could shape him however they see fit, and reimagine his character and power set to fit the more grounded "Joker" universe. What's more, since the character is essentially a walking musical episode, his very presence would justify every single song-and-dance number the movie may feel like including.
Pretty much any Batman villain could make an appearance in the Joker sequel
Of course, Music Meister is far from the only Batman villain who could make an appearance in "Joker: Folie à Deux." The first "Joker" takes a very singular approach to the titular villain and his origin story, and Arthur Fleck ends the movie in noted Batman villain hotspot Arkham State Hospital. As such, pretty much every single Gotham City villain could potentially feature in the sequel in some shape, form or way.
Since the Bruce Wayne of this universe is significantly younger than his future arch-villain, some of the members of the Caped Crusader's rogues gallery might be difficult to shoehorn in the sequel. For instance, Selina "Catwoman" Kyle tends to fall in a similar age bracket with Batman, so even if we'll see her in the movie, she'll probably be very young. Others, like Maxie Zeus or Mr. Freeze, may be too outlandish for the "Joker" universe. However, this still leaves a whole bunch of potential Batman villains to crash the movie. Could we see Two-Face belt out a duet with himself? Will the Penguin give the audience a sample of his showtune prowess at the Iceberg Lounge while Joker showcases his patented dance moves on the background? Only time and "Joker: Folie à Deux" will tell.