Joker 2 releases first audio of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn

Lady Gaga has officially debuted her Harley Quinn voice in the first audio preview from the forthcoming sequel to Todd Phillips’s 2019 film Joker.

The new DC Studios film, titled Joker: Folie à Deux, will see Joaquin Phoenix reprise his role as the title character alongside Gaga – born Stefani Germanotta – as Harley Quinn.

In a short clip posted to the movie’s official TikTok account on Tuesday, the “Poker Face” singer channels a raspy, sensual whisper as she says the words: "You can do anything you want. You’re joker.”

While the character’s vocals have changed over the years between actors, Harley Quinn has usually been portrayed with a Brooklyn accent, since Arleen Sorkin, the original voice actor for the 1992 action four-parter Batman: The Animated Series.

Margot Robbie continued that voice in her three-time interpretation of the character in the DC Extended Universe’s live-action projects in Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad.

In January, Robbie told Variety that she hadn’t yet spoken to Gaga about passing along the role of Harley Quin, but said that the singer would “crush it”.

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“Oh my God, she’s going to crush it. Are you kidding? She’s going to be amazing, I can’t wait to see it,” she said. “I actually haven’t spoken to her about it. I almost don’t want to know so I can save it for the surprise when I get to see the movie.”

The 2019 film Joker tracked the mental decline of aspiring comic and clown Arthur Fleck, after being socially and romantically rejected. His violent Joker persona emerges as a result, and he goes on to become a cult hero.

Phoenix won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance, and the film made more than $1bn at the box office to become the most profitable R-rated movie of all time.

Phillips offered a first look at Gaga taking on the high-profile role back on Valentine’s Day, posting a picture of Phoenix and Gaga in character together.

“Happy Valentine’s day,” he wrote as a simple caption.

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Posting the same image on her Instagram, Gaga captioned the photo with the sequel title “Folie à Deux”, which is a French term used in medical contexts to refer to an identical or similar mental disorder impacting two or more people, usually the members of a close family.

The film is currently slated to arrive in cinemas on 4 October 2024, the fifth anniversary of the original film’s release.

During filming last year, Gaga was spotted by fans on location on West 167th Street in the Bronx, New York, performing a short dance while ascending the steps to the sound of “Rock and Roll Part 2” by Gary Glitter.

While a film crew were present to record Gaga at the location, it is currently unclear whether the dance will be part of the film, or was simply the actor’s playful homage for the benefit of the crew and other onlookers.

For the sequel, audiences are anticipating the story to continue the story of Fleck’s reign of terror in New York City.