DC director hints there are no plans for future films in his Elseworlds franchise

The DC Universe is in a rebuilding phase with a lot of moving parts currently in the mix as James Gunn and Peter Safran work to turn DC Studios into a studio that can go head-to-head with their counterparts over at Marvel Studios. Part of their plan is to create a more connected universe that mirrors that of the MCU where both films and television projects exist within the same shared universe, but they’re also looking to carve out a universe outside the mainstream DCU where other successful franchises can live on under their Elseworlds banner. 

Thus far, there are only two ongoing DC franchises we know for certain exist within the Elseworlds umbrella: Matt Reeve’s Batman franchise and Todd Phillips’ Joker franchise. 

These two particular franchises feature some of the biggest names in DC Comics, but the events of the projects are set outside the DCU which will officially launch in 2025 with Superman (formerly Superman: Legacy). Fans were not surprised when DC confirmed they were preceding with the plans for future additions in the franchises given their success, and it makes sense that DC also didn’t want to muddy the waters as they look to launch their new DCU by trying to make either film franchise fit into the DCU. 

Reeves’ Batman franchise will continue to expand in September with The Penguin with The Batman: Part 2 coming in 2026, and Reeves has been open in wanting to expand his franchise further beyond these two projects. However, it seems that Joker: Folie à Deux might end up being the final chapter in Phillips’ Elseworlds franchise. 

There are no plans for Joker 3

With the promotion for Joker: Folie à Deux picking up, director Todd Phillips recently sat down for an in-depth conversation about the sequel to his 2019 Oscar-winning film in which he reflected on the process for returning to the franchise and pushing the envelope by making the film a musical with Lady Gaga tapped to play Harley Quinn. 

Phillips gushed about the opportunity to revisit the franchise and try new things in the film’s sequel, but it seems he’s ready to move on from the franchise and confirmed there are no plans for a third Joker film. 

“It was fun to play in this sort of sandbox for two movies, but I think we’ve said what we wanted to say in this world,” Phillips told Variety. 

Of course, if the film performs as well as the first film did back in 2019, there is always a chance the DC brass might try to persuade Phillips to continue the franchise with a third film; however, it seems he viewed and approached this sequel as the final chapter of the story he set out to tell which makes the odds of him returning for a third film incredibly low. 

Honestly, while we’ve become accustomed to superhero franchises coming in the form of trilogies, there is no reason why Phillips’ Joker franchise should continue beyond Joker: Folie à Deux. Now more than ever, it’s okay for filmmakers to come in, achieve what they set out to do, and walk away rather than watering down the materials just for the sake of expanding a franchise.