First look at Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn in Joker 2 is here

Lady Gaga in House of Gucci
(Image credit: United Artists Releasing/Universal Pictures)

The first look at Lady Gaga in Joker 2, officially titled Joker: Folie à Deux, has arrived – and it's suitably twisted. 

Gaga is set to play Harley Quinn in the movie, and, after previously revealing she'd started filming on the sequel, the actor has shared the first photo of herself in character. 

In the picture, which you can see below, Harley and Joaquin Phoenix's Joker share what looks to be an intimate moment. Harley is holding Joker's face and looking thrilled, he's smiling back at her, and, if you look closely, you'll notice red paint smeared across Harley's nose and mouth. Director Todd Phillips also shared the photo to Instagram, captioned "Happy Valentines Day." 

A first look at Phoenix was also recently released, and, fitting the first movie's dark tone, the picture shows an emaciated-looking Arthur Fleck being shaved by someone in uniform – most likely an Arkham Asylum worker, considering the first film ended with Arthur imprisoned in the facility.  

Joker 2's supporting cast also includes Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener, with Zazie Beetz back as Sophie, her character from the first movie. Plot details are a mystery for now, but the film will reportedly be a musical

Though DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have unveiled the first stage of their new DCU slate, titled Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, the Joker movies are unaffected. They'll instead exist under the label Elseworlds, as will Matt Reeves' The Batman and its spin-offs (which are also unconnected to the Joker films). 

Joker: Folie à Deux releases on October 4, 2024. While you wait, check out our guide on all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else that's on the way. 

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English. 

Read more
Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn on set of Joker 2
Lady Gaga jokingly celebrates Joker 2 reception and Razzie nominations: "Joke's on them. I love winning things"
Joker: Folie À Deux Easter eggs
Lady Gaga addresses Joker 2 backlash: "People just sometimes don't like some things"
Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn in Joker 2
Wednesday star Jenna Ortega teases Lady Gaga's appearance in season 2 of the Netflix show: "It was just a really, really special environment"
Robert Pattinson in The Batman
The Batman 2 release date, cast, plot, and everything else you need to know about the DC movie
M3GAN 2.0 teaser
M3GAN 2.0 is here to slay in a perfectly on-brand first sequel teaser for the upcoming horror movie
The Batman
Robert Pattinson reveals that he finally knows what The Batman 2 is about, but he's not giving anything away
Latest in DC Movies
Heath Ledger as Joker in The Dark Knight
17 years after The Dark Knight was released, Michael Caine recalls being "floored" and "terrified" by Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker
The cast of Suicide Squad (2016)
David Ayer admits James Gunn has good reason not to release his cut of Suicide Squad, but he remains hopeful it'll happen
Ben Affleck in Zack Snyder's Justice League
Ben Affleck reflects on the "excruciating experience" playing Batman in the Zack Snyder movies: "A lot of it was misalignment of agendas, understandings, expectations"
James Gunn
James Gunn reacts to Jason Momoa almost spoiling his Lobo costume in an interview: "I just want to profoundly thank Jason’s publicist"
Jason Momoa next to Lobo
Jason Momoa has gone method taking on the role of Lobo: "I asked everybody to call me by my character's name"
Batgirl movie
Unearthed Daredevil-like fight scene from DC's canceled Batgirl movie gives us a taste of what we could have had
Latest in News
Everybody's Golf Hot Shots
The surprise theme of today's Nintendo Direct was classic PlayStation franchises getting a comeback without Sony's involvement
Hogwarts Legacy how many spells
Unannounced Hogwarts Legacy DLC reportedly canceled, partly because the studio wasn't sure it'd be worth players' money
Ultimate X-Men #14
Ultimate X-Men #14 pays homage to a classic Wolverine moment as the Shadow King returns
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Ubisoft reaches deal with Tencent to create $4.3 billion mini-Ubisoft subsidiary to "spearhead development" on new Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six games
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last Of Us season 2
The Last of Us showrunner says he isn't worried about fan reaction to season 2: "The best way we could respect our fans and honor them is to not worry about them"
Black Myth: Wukong
English is no longer the biggest language on Steam as Chinese gamers embrace PC gaming even harder after Black Myth: Wukong