Brendan Gleeson has joined the cast of the Joker sequel, though Warner Bros. Pictures hasn’t revealed what role he’ll be playing just yet. Character actor Brendan Gleeson is well-known for his roles in 28 Days Later, the Harry Potter movies, the cult classic In Bruges, as well as the TV miniseries The Comey Rule, in which he played Donald Trump. This casting will leave fans wondering because Gleeson has the range and screen demeanor to play anything from a sympathetic doctor to a deranged prisoner imprisoned in Arkham Asylum.
And according to an Update from scooper Justin Kroll, Gleeson is most likely to be a security guard at Arkham Asylum, the renowned asylum for criminally insane inmates in Gotham City. Due to their (apparent) psychological illnesses, many Batman rogues wind up in Arkham, with The Joker becoming the facility’s most well-known patient. Making Arkham into its cinematic environment will be essential because it has already been stated that a significant portion of Joker 2 would take place there.
As for Gleeson, there’s always the chance that he’ll end up portraying a Batman legend who is revised through the lens of Todd Phillips’ Joker Universe. It would seem logical to cast Doctor Hugo Strange as Arthur Fleck’s antagonist because Strange is a sadistic psychological manipulator and mad scientist, making him the ideal “antagonist” for Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck to face off against. Todd Phillips could also use Strange to further the social commentary of the series by having it address the treatment of mental illness. Hugo Strange is also the ideal “wolf in sheep’s clothing” part for Gleeson to skillfully handle because, before we know the terrifying reality, he plays “the good doctor.”
The fact that Lady Gaga will be appearing alongside Brendan Gleeson in the sequel as Harley Quinn also suggests that they may get some considerable screen time together. An important character in the history of Arkham is Harleen Quinzel, a bright criminal psychologist who nevertheless falls under the Joker’s spell and becomes both his partner and long-term partner. Due to Harleen’s gradual decline into lunacy, she may need to have some rather difficult ethical debates with Gleeson’s character or risk being used as a honeypot by him for Fleck’s Joker, until the tables are eventually turned.
