Joker 2: Does Harvey Dent Become Two-Face?

Harvey Dent is a new character introduced in the sequel film Joker: Folie à Deux. The district attorney is also best known for transforming into the villain Two-Face in various Batman comics and movies. So, does Harvey Dent become Two-Face in Joker 2?

Does Harvey Dent Turn Into Two-Face in Joker 2?

Harvey Dent is introduced early on in Joker 2 as the District Attorney handling the prosecution of Arthur Fleck for the murders the character had committed in the 2019 Joker film. Dent is in all of the courtroom scenes of the film, questioning witnesses and others related to Arthur throughout the film. The character’s primary goal is to incriminate Arthur and deem him mentally stable enough to be tried and prosecuted for his crimes, with plans to seek the death penalty for what Joker did. The entirety of the film hinges on the argument of whether or not Joker is a split personality from Arthur Fleck, with Dent trying as hard as he can to prove otherwise.

Todd Phillips is no stranger to using critical characters in Batman mythos for his own purposes. Thomas Wayne plays an essential role in the original Joker film, with Arthur even believing that Wayne was his father for a good chunk of the movie before being punched in the face by him. Harvey Dent is infamous for becoming Two-Face after a horrible accident left him disfigured in various films, comics, and television. The most famous portrayal of the character is, without a doubt, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. This version of Dent becomes disfigured after being trapped in a room full of bombs by the Joker (Heath Ledger), only narrowly escaping with half of his body set on fire.

Related: Joker 2 Rotten Tomatoes Reviews Are Worrying For Folie à Deux’s Fate

So, does this version of Harvey Dent (portrayed by Harry Lawtey) suffer the same fate in Joker 2 and become Two-Face? The answer is: sort of. For most of the film, Harvey Dent is unscathed, hardly having any direct interactions with the Joker and only ever talking about him rather than to him. However, toward the end of the film, on the last day of the trial, when the verdict by the jury is announced, a crazed Joker follower detonates a bomb at the side of the courthouse. In a shot surveying the damage, we can see Harvey Dent, with part of his face scarred by debris from the explosion.

Todd Phillips once again makes Harvey Dent the victim of a Joker-related bomb attack, only this time, we’re not sure if this story point will be followed up. While Eckhart was able to portray the villain Two-Face fully, Phillips has recently said he’s done with making films set in the DC Universe. There’s always a chance that another creative can take the reins and perhaps give an interpretation of a Two-Face without Batman to fight, similar to what Phillips did with Joker, but that remains to be seen. Should Joker 2 prove to be a critical success, WB will find a way to continue this universe with or without Phillips.

And that’s whether or not Harvey Dent becomes Two-Face in Joker 2.

Joker: Folie à Deux is now playing in Theaters.