In Joker: Folie à Deux, Harley Quinn is played by Lady Gaga, portraying her as a psychiatrist (likely Dr. Harleen Quinzel) who becomes involved with Joaquin Phoenix's Joker, with the sequel being a musical exploring their tumultuous relationship within the gritty, separate universe established by the first film. Gaga's portrayal focuses on her own interpretation of mania and chaos, distinct from other cinematic versions.
Joker: Folie à Deux is a 2024 American jukebox musical legal drama film directed by Todd Phillips from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Silver, as the sequel to Joker (2019). Joaquin Phoenix stars as Arthur Fleck / Joker, reprising his role from the first film, alongside Lady Gaga as Harleen "Lee" Quinzel.
But Harley is no longer a doctor who finds herself manipulated by Arthur, but a fellow patient who feeds into his delusions. She's not called Harley, and even Phillips' reference to “the comics” feels like a bad omen, as Harley didn't originate in the comics; her first appearance was in Batman: The Animated Series.
With Joker: Folie à Deux not having to fit into a specific universe, the film is free to take creative liberties with its iconic DC characters. Not being shackled to one main universe opens up the opportunity for multiple actors to play the same character.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, refused to respond to either moniker on the set of “Joker: Folie à Deux,” even when cameras weren't rolling. Instead, she went by the simple name Lee, possibly a nickname for her DC Comics character, Harley Quinn, whose alter-ego name is Harleen Quinzel.
Harley Quinn will do anything to get the Joker's approval, but with her having HPD, she is not aware she is seeking it. People with HPD might "seek control of their partner through emotional manipulation or seductiveness on one level, whereas displaying a marked dependency on them at another level" (Bornstein).
Harley Quinn is bisexual and has been in a relationship with The Joker, and, more recently, in a non-monogamous relationship with Poison Ivy. Other characters have been portrayed as bisexual in Batman media adaptations. Gotham's Barbara Kean and Tabitha Galavan are also confirmed to be bisexual.
Lady Gaga is playing Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux not replacing Margot Robbie, but rather in a separate universe; Robbie herself wanted the role passed on, and Gaga's musical background suits the film's musical nature, plus Robbie gave her blessing for the character to be played by different actors. Gaga's casting offers a fresh, separate take, allowing for creative freedom in the Joker storyline, which focuses on the Joker's origin and relationship with Harley.
Despite both characters being hyped up as super crazy, neither is usually portrayed as all that crazy. They're both pretty aware of the world around them and their own actions. That being said The Joker is usually calculating and willfully malevolent, where Harley acts out of a genuinely twisted understanding of love.
Death. Sometime before or after the corruption of Superman and the fall of Earth, Harley reportedly perished, with Batman supposedly witnessing her final moments. According to Batman, as she was dying in his arms, she asked Batman to kill the Joker slowly if the two ever met again.
Lee doesn't actually say anything about her pregnancy in this scene, but the implication is very clear: She is not pregnant.
The big reveal came in Injustice 2 #70. While Orca and Killer Croc are getting ready to make their own vows to each other, Poison Ivy nonchalantly reveals that she and Harley Quinn were married in Las Vegas by an Elvis impersonator, which makes complete sense.
His men captured Harleen and strapped her to an electro-shock table, where the Joker administered electro-shock therapy, that combined with the Joker's twisted influence completely warped her mind. Harleen took the name "Harley Quinn" and became the Joker's girlfriend and accomplice.
Director Todd Phillips insists he won't be making Joker 3, and that Joker: Folie A Deux will bring his take on the story to an end. Director Todd Phillips is back on the promotional trail, as the release date looms for his high-profile sequel, Joker: Folie A Deux.
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad (2016), Birds of Prey (2020), and The Suicide Squad (2021)
Harley is the former girlfriend and sidekick of The Joker and is currently dating her best friend Poison Ivy. Since breaking up with Joker, she has led and founded a ragtag crew of villainous misfits and briefly became a member of the Legion of Doom.
Weakness: Harley Quinn appears to be fearless, yet she doesn't have enhanced strength, speed, or metahuman powers, making her vulnerable to physical attacks from her more powerful opponents.
Harley's true journey towards healthy "relationship goals"—one built on love, respect, and mutual healing—lies not with the Joker, but with Poison Ivy. Harley Quinn's origin story, at its core, is a tragic tale of manipulation and vulnerability.
There is a large group of people who don't like the direction Harley Quinn as a character has taken. They like her as Joker's sidekick and a villain, not an independent anti-hero. There are also people who think Harley has been in way too much stuff recently.
Lady Gaga has publicly shared diagnoses and struggles with fibromyalgia (chronic pain), PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) from past trauma, and recently revealed a past diagnosis of psychosis, which affected her sense of reality during her Chromatica era around 2020. She advocates for mental health awareness, emphasizing that these conditions are real and challenging, encouraging others to seek help and find healing.
Yes, Margot Robbie has spoken openly about experiencing significant imposter syndrome, especially early in her Hollywood career, feeling she didn't belong and feared being "kicked out," though she's since gained more confidence realizing she's truly part of the industry, admitting she still feels anxiety and self-doubt sometimes, like worrying she might have "peaked" or feeling unsure about using her Australian accent.
OTHER: Emma Robert was originally offered the role of Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad but passed on it to do Scream Queens instead : r/DC_Cinematic.
Nightwing wakes up and finds he has been tied to a bed. Harley shows him a pile of rejection letters and that her criminal past prevents her from getting rehired as a psychiatrist. Eventually, the two sleep together.
Pansexuality is defined as an attraction to people of any gender or to people regardless of their gender, with the prefix “pan” coming from the Greek prefix for “all.” Pansexuality isn't a more evolved or “politically correct” form of bisexuality; it isn't more or less trans/nonbinary inclusive; it's just a word to ...