Since his first appearance in 1940, Batman’s infamous archenemy has worn many faces. Some have seen success at the end (We’re still quoting Heath Ledger a decade after), while others met a lukewarm response (Sorry, Jared Leto). This October, Joaquin Phoenix will wear the iconic clown mask.
Read more: Is Rey heading to the dark side in ‘The Rise of Skywalker’?
In the upcoming movie’s final trailer, Joker takes a dark route as it follows Arthur Fleck as a stand-up comedian down on his luck. The film, set in 1981 Gotham City, may be the gritty villain origin Batman fans are clamoring for, as audiences witness the villain’s descent into insanity. Scenes include a session between Arthur and his therapist, as the man now known as the Joker says, “You just ask the same questions every week: ‘How’s your job, are you having any negative thoughts?’ All I have are negative thoughts.”
Read more: We’ll meet a female Thor and a real Chinese Shang-Chi in Marvel Phase Four
Director Todd Philipps has stated that the Joker has an original screenplay, and won’t follow previous DC comic books and screen adaptations. The R-Rated film will be making a festival circuit at Venice Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival, a feat for the superhero genre. For the rest of the movie-going world, Joker will evil-laugh its way to cinemas on Oct. 4.
Still courtesy of Joker