Todd Phillips, the visionary behind the Joker franchise, has wrapped up his journey in the DC Universe. Five years after the 2019 release of Joker, which grossed over $1 billion and earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar, its much-anticipated sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, has now premiered, potentially marking the end of Phillips’ involvement with DC films.

The sequel centers around Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), who finds himself incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital, where he meets Harley Quinn, portrayed by Lady Gaga. At the Los Angeles premiere on Monday, Phillips spoke candidly about Gaga’s casting, noting his initial apprehension.

“I think we sent her half the script, and she texted me pretty quickly that she was really into it, that she loved it and everything you want to hear,” Phillips said. He recalled their first meeting about the role. “I went out to her house, and we met about what it was going to be, the rest of it, because we hadn’t written it yet. [Co-writer] Scott Silver and I are notoriously slow writers.”

Phillips also shared that he sees Folie à Deux as his final DC project, dismissing the possibility of a standalone Harley Quinn movie. “It’s not really where this movie is headed for me. I feel like my time in the DC Universe was these two films,” Phillips said, also reiterating his disinterest in a potential Joker 3. Before his work on Joker, Phillips directed The Hangover trilogy and War Dogs (2016).

Lady Gaga, meanwhile, has taken her portrayal of Harley Quinn beyond the screen by creating a companion album, Harlequin, in tandem with the film’s release. Gaga explained her deep connection with the character through music. “I think that creatively exploring this music and this character was a really special experience,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “It was a navigation around some private dark moments in my life… in this arena and in this film and in this story, it was just like the perfect place to put everything.”

Joker: Folie à Deux is set to hit theaters this Friday, offering audiences a new chapter in the chaotic life of Arthur Fleck.