Wouldn't do 'Joker' sequel because first movie is successful: Joaquin Pheonix

"Joker" star Joaquin Pheonix will not return as Arthur Fleck just to cash in on the success of the Todd Phillips-directed movie. The DC crime drama has become the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, and has received a lot of critical acclaim since its debut at Venice Film Festival.

"I wouldn't just do a sequel just because the first movie is successful, that's ridiculous," Pheonix told LA Times' The Envelope. The actor, however, revealed that he and Phillips used to discuss a lot about the possibility of a sequel on the sets of "Joker".

"Long before the release or before we had any idea if it would be successful, we talked about sequels. "In the second or third week of shooting, I was like: 'Todd, can you start working on a sequel? There's way too much to explore.' It was kind of in jest — but not really," he said.

"Joker" released in India on October 2.