Warning! This article contains spoilers for Joker: Folie à Deux.
Joker: Folie à Deuxgives the popular Batman character Harvey Dent a big role in the story, potentially even leaving him off for a DC future.Joker 2’s ensemble castis much bigger than its predecessors, primarily through the introduction of characters surrounding Arthur Fleck’s court trial. In what will undoubtedly cause excitement forBatmanfans, two of these characters are the biggestJoker 2DC Easter eggs: Harley Quinn and Harvey Dent.
By the time ofJoker: Folie à Deux’s ending, the roles of Harvey and Harley become clear. The latter serves as a way to unleash the Joker persona that is locked away inside Arthur. Where Harvey is concerned,Joker 2’s DC timelineallows the film to introduce him in an interesting role, one that both matches and deviates from his depiction in the source material and potentially teases more to come from him.
Harvey Dent Is The Assistant District Attorney In Arthur’s Trial In Joker 2
Dent Is Responsible For Prosecuting Arthur
If Arthur Fleck isJoker 2’s protagonist, Harvey Dent is the film’s antagonist. The sequel is set around two years after the events of its predecessor, with Arthur facing trial for the murders he committed in the latter. Leading the prosecution against Arthur is Harvey Dent, who is introduced as the Assistant District Attorney of Gotham. Throughout the film,Dent appears in several courtroom scenes in an attempt to convince a jury that Arthur is not mentally ill and is simply capable of committing the crimes he did in the first movie.
Harry Lawtey portrays Harvey Dent in Joker: Folie à Deux.
Harvey’s role thus consists of a straight-talking, suave, confident ADA who builds a strong case against Arthur. Interestingly, Harvey’s role inJoker 2is responsible for the return of several characters from the first film. Some of Harvey’s witnesses include Zazie Beetz’s Sophie and Leigh Gill’s Gary Puddles. Overall, Harvey Dent is not fleshed out much regarding his character outside of the courtroom, instead serving as the film’s primary antagonistic - or protagonistic, depending on the viewpoint of Arthur - force.
Harvey Dent Is Injured In The Car Bomb Explosion, Setting Up Two-Face
Harvey’s DC Alter Ego Is Foreshadowed In Joker: Folie á Deux
Although Harvey’s history is not divulged inJoker 2, the film does an adequate job of setting up his future. In the final act of the film, Arthur concedes his defense and insists that he is not mentally ill. He states that Joker was just a facade created to avoid his trauma and unleash his violent fantasies, pleasing Dent. Just as the jury reads their verdict that aligns with Dent’s prosecution and sentences Arthur to many counts of murder and likely the death penalty, a car bomb explodes outside of the courtroom.
Joker: Folie A Deux’s 10 Biggest Spoilers
Joker: Folie à Deux features some of the most shocking twists in DC’s live-action history, though Arthur Fleck’s perspective is still unreliable.
Naturally, the scene sticks with Arthur, as the titular character escapes. As he is doing so, Arthur passes Harvey, who was caught in the explosion.Harvey is shown with half of his face burning, setting up his future as Two-Face. In DC Comics, Harvey eventually becomes the villain known as Two-Face when half of the skin on his face is burned away. Despite the film being very different in tone from DC Comics, it actively sets up another villain from the source material via Dent’s injuries, just as it does withJoker 2’s real Joker villain.
Joker 2’s Harvey Dent DC Comics Changes Explained
The Joker Universe Continues Making Changes From DC Comics
Overall, it is safe to say that Todd Phillips’Jokermovies do not align much with DC Comics. The films establish their own tone, origin stories, and world rather than be overtly based on the source material. InJoker: Folie à Deux, this continues, just as it does with Harvey Dent’s character. One similarity to the comics is that Harvey is an Assistant District Attorney, with the character holding a similar role early in his New Earth DC continuity. Besides this, however, there are few consistencies.
Dent and Bruce Wayne are usually shown as a similar age, yetJokerestablished Bruce as a child with the sequel only taking place two years later…
For example,the New Earth DC Comics depicted Harvey’s facial injury as a result of an acid attack. The character was attacked by Sal Maroni with acid, burning half of his face. InJoker 2, this injury comes from the car bomb that is detonated by Joker’s supporters. Another difference between the DC Comics Harvey Dent and the one shown inJoker: Folie à Deuxis his age discrepancy with Batman. Dent and Bruce Wayne are usually shown as a similar age, yetJokerestablished Bruce as a child with the sequel only taking place two years later.
As such, it is unlikely theJokeruniverse will ever depict the team-up between Dent, Batman, and Jim Gordon. This trio is one of the more iconic in DC Comics' Batman stories, as well as adaptations likeThe Dark Knight. However, with Bruce Wayne still a child and theJokeruniverse’s Batmanbeing absent, a stark difference between DC Comics' Dent and the one fromJoker 2is established.
Harvey Dent’s DC Future Depends On Whether Joker 3 Happens
This Version Of Harvey Dent Is Dependent On The Elseworlds Franchise Continuing
WhileJoker: Folie à Deuxteases Harvey Dent’s future as Two-Face, it may be unlikely that this version will return. The reason for this is the seeming finality ofJoker 2’s story. By the time the film’s credits roll, Arthur is dead. As such, it seems that the franchise is over considering Arthur was such a focal point for this iteration of the DC Universe. When viewing thelist of upcoming DC movies,Joker 3is not among them, meaning Harvey Dent’s future is unlikely to be explored unless it is confirmed.
Will Joker 3 Happen? Everything We Know
Joker: Folie A Deux’s twisted ending sets up a surprising future for the franchise, but will a third movie actually happen? We break down the chances.
The possibility ofJoker 3being confirmed was all but tarnished months beforeJoker: Folie à Deuxwas released. In an interview withVarietyin August 2024, Todd Phillips admitted thatJoker 3is unlikely to happen. The director stated that, although he has enjoyed playing in the DC sandbox,JokerandJoker 2comprise the story he and his team initially set out to craft, telling audiences not to hold their breath forJoker 3. This casts even greater doubt over Harvey Dent’s story as Two-Face continuing in this specific universe.
Of course, in an age of spin-offs becoming commonplace, this could be one pathway that sees Dent return.Joker 2’s story could spin off to focus on Harley Quinn or the future of Gotham now that Joker has become a martyr and his supporters are running riot. This could make for an interesting spin-off in which Dent continues trying to be the incorruptible lawman he is while reckoning with his darker side now that Two-Face has been established. However, until this is confirmed,Joker: Folie à Deuxseems to be the end of the road for the new version of Harvey Dent.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Cast
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.
