Did WB not visit the set or what
The studio got what they wanted out of Joker 1, everything else is gravy. Or thin gravy at this point. Joker 1 is
proof of life to investors that this concept can succeed as a stand alone franchise. It breached the billion dollar mark. Also it garnered Oscars. And it did so despite immediately backlash from those embedded in the mainstream media trying to kill off the first film. The staying power with international markets though is the real cherry on top.
Even if some folks, even many folks, were not happy and didn't enjoy Joker 2, the overall perception of the franchise by investors is enough to likely/have green light The Authority, Swamp Thing and an Amanda Waller spin off franchise. The doors are now open to a tier of possible casting that wasn't available before. The studio can now cycle through a new Joker trilogy every decade, much like in the vein of Batman or Spiderman. Even if this iteration isn't the Joker some people want, more Joker is coming, even beyond Phillips and Phoenix. And it's because of Phillips and Phoenix that this is possible.
Studios do not want to lose money, but they accept the tradeoffs of the "loss leader" principle. Early Ryan Murphy was a risk for FX. Nip/Tuck was even a bit too far on the edge for them back then. But now look at what he's done for them. He's basically carrying them on his shoulders, in current times, nearly by himself. Any studio will take a financial hit to find the next Ryan Murphy, the next Chuck Lorre, the next Dick Wolf, someone who just can churn out relative wins for a studio/network.
Todd Phillips is likely not going to have a Dick Wolf kind of longevity for the DCEU. That's unfortunate. Do I wish Joker 2 was structurally more cohesive? Yes. Do I think it's a flawed film? Sure. Did I enjoy it? Yes, but I recognize why many did not. I'm not telling people who hate Joker 2 to magically love it, I am saying if you see a prestige level Swamp Thing film, and you've been waiting a long time for it, it doesn't happen without Philliips/Phoenix and Joker 1. Salvage what "wins", relative as they may be at this point, that you can right now. Am I a huge Swamp Thing fan? No. Am I locked in on The Authority? No. Would I jump for joy to see more Amanda Waller? Not a chance. But others might.
Did I love Dances With Wolves? Not really. Do I kneel at the altar of Kevin Costner? I could care less. But that DID DwW figure with horse set that just came out is only possible because of the success of selling all those WW2 German military figures, over decades, that 95 percent of the fanbase here don't care about at all.
This current Joker franchise opened a lot of new doors before ironically it found a way to close a door on itself. Taking the wins that are still left behind is not some kind of surrender.
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