Warner Bros. Pictures has a total of six Joker-related movies in development, but not all of them are set to take place within the untitled DC film universe. The Joker is the most iconic Batman supervillain, which is why he’s been adapted to the big and small screens multiple times over the years. Heath Ledger made his mark on the character by appearing in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight in 2008. Then, Jared Leto became the next person to play the Joker by starring in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad in 2016 – the third film to release as part of the unofficially titled DCEU.

At the moment, there are more than two dozen DC Comics-related projects in various stages of development, of which six of them are now Joker-related movies. It can get quite confusing, especially since Jared Leto won’t be in all of them. Instead, DC Films plans on launching a separate banner under which they can produce non-DCEU comic book movies. Sound confusing? That’s because it is… to an extent. So, here are all the Joker-related movies explained.

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  • This Page: Joker Solo, Joker Origin, and Gotham City Sirens
  • Page 2: Joker/Harley Quinn, Harley Quinn Solo, and Suicide Squad 2

Joker Suicide Squad Spinoff Movie

Jared Leto’s portrayal of the Joker in 2016’s Suicide Squad was significantly trimmed down in the final cut, which led to an extended version on home video. But it wasn’t enough. David Ayer has admitted that he wished he made Leto’s Joker the main villain of the story because the character has so much to work with, and it seems Warner Bros. agrees with that sentiment, for they are now pursuing a solo Joker movie with Leto in the title role.

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Very few details are known about the project at this time, but it’s believed that the spinoff movie will expand the corner of the DCEU that was established in Suicide Squad and tie into future DCEU installments featuring Task Force X. It’s also unclear if this untitled Joker movie, which Leto is also attached as an executive producer, will go into production before or after Suicide Squad 2.

Joker Origin Movie

One of the things that Warner Bros. plans on doing with DC Films is making standalone DC Comics-based movies that can stand apart from the DCEU. The first movie to release under that currently unnamed banner is the Joker origin movie, which will be directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover Trilogy, War Dogs) and co-produced by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese. Phillips is expected to co-write the script along with Oscar-nominated screenwriter Scott Silver (8 Mile, The Fighter).

Since this Joker origin movie will remain separate from the DCEU, it won’t star Jared Leto in the title role. Instead, Joaquin Phoenix is reportedly in talks to play the Joker in the film. While plot details are currently being kept under wraps, it has been reported that the film will take place in the 1980s and showcase the Joker as a failed comedian who turns to a life of crime after being ridiculed by audiences. Based on the plot details that have been revealed so far, the Joker origin film will have similarities to Alan Moore’s Batman: The Killing Joke graphic novel.

Gotham City Sirens

One of the first Suicide Squad spinoffs put into development was Gotham City Sirens in 2016, which would reteam David Ayer and Margot Robbie for an all-female DC supervillain film. Tomb Raider and Captain Marvel screenwriter Geneva Robertson-Dworet signed on to pen the screenplay. Although the movie was one of the first Joker/Harley Quinn-related projects revealed, its status has been somewhat murky over the years. Ayer has been busy working on Bright and Bright 2 for Netflix, whereas Robbie has been preoccupied with other films in addition to getting her own Harley Quinn movies off the ground.

Then, in early 2018, it was reported that Warner Bros. was no longer looking into developing Gotham City Sirens, which is based on the comic book team of the same name consisting of Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy. While it was unclear what Joker’s role would be in the movie – if he even had one at all, though it was believed that he would at least appear briefly – it seems that this is the least likely project to move forward, with Robbie now focusing her time on Suicide Squad 2 and Birds of Prey – another all-female spinoff movie.

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Page 2 of 2: Joker/Harley Quinn, Harley Quinn Solo, and Suicide Squad 2

Key Release Dates
  • Aquaman (2018)Release date: Dec 21, 2018
  • Shazam! (2019)Release date: Apr 05, 2019
  • Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)Release date: Dec 25, 2020

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About The Author


Mansoor Mithaiwala
(1889 Articles Published)

Mansoor Mithaiwala is Screen Rant’s TV Lead Editor. He originally joined the site as a freelance writer on the Lists team before moving over to News and Features, eventually becoming an editor in 2018. Over time he’s done quite a few different things, including helping launch gaming on the site, often handling news, features, and guides simultaneously. Now he sticks primarily to movies and TV, and spends way too much time looking at analytics. It sure seems like he’s put his Political Science degree to good use, huh?

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