Joker 2 Trailer: Why Has YouTube Added A Viewer Discretion Warning For The Joaquin Phoenix’s Movie?

YouTube has added a viewer discretion warning before the newly released trailer for Warner Bros.’ “Joker: Folie à Deux” can be watched. The warning states that the trailer may contain topics related to suicide or self-harm, and users must click a button acknowledging this and confirming they wish to proceed before being able to view the trailer. This warning was not initially present when the trailer was first released Tuesday evening.

The scene that likely triggered the warning shows Harley Quinn (played by Lady Gaga) making a finger gun gesture to her head and pretending to pull the trigger. She tells the Joker “I’m nobody. I haven’t done anything with my life like you have,” as she mimes shooting herself. Under YouTube’s guidelines, videos containing suicide or self-harm content may have a warning added before playing, along with resources like suicide prevention hotlines below the video.

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The 2 minutes 24-second teaser shows Joaquin Phoenix reprising his Oscar-winning Joker role, meeting Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn as inmates at Arkham Asylum. They fall in love and hatch an escape plan together. Director Todd Phillips debuted the footage at CinemaCon, the annual movie theater industry convention. Warner Bros. will release “Joker 2” on October 4, 2024, exactly 5 years after the original “Joker” film.

It was recently reported the sequel is a jukebox musical with at least 15 song reinterpretations. The trailer features a version of “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” At CinemaCon, Phillips said that the description wasn’t fully accurate, but music and dance numbers will feature prominently, as Arthur has music within him like the first film.