We’ve already had a few glimpses of Todd Phillips’ take on how a man like the Joker could come to existence, even in the already sordid world of Gotham City. But this latest look dives even further into the haunting downfall of Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck.
Warner Bros. just released a brand new trailer for Joker, a movie that is coming way, way sooner than you’d think considering we’ve barely seen any of it!
(Twitter link in case that’s not viewable internationally.)
Set as an origin story entirely separate from any previous cinematic iteration of Batman’s most enduring foe, the movie follows Fleck as the world around him begins to crumble, pushing stresses on the man that apparently lead to his complete undoing—and his rebirth as the cackling, calculated crown prince of crime.
Chance encounters with everyone from Robert De Niro as a mysterious TV host and even the Wayne family itself—with Brett Cullen’s Thomas Wayne glimpsed briefly as he takes a swing at the Joker—see Fleck rise from a man beaten down by the harsh world around him to the seeming catalyst for a clown-mask-clad revolution. It’s...let’s just say there’s a lot going on here.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, and Marc Maron, Joker hits theaters October 4.
For more, make sure you’re following us on our new Instagram @io9dotcom.