First Look: Joaquin Phoenix as Joker!

Joaquin Phoenix's new look as the Joker is out now, and it might be a good idea to keep the coulrophobics away from it. 'The Hangover' director, Todd Phillips, had earlier revealed the first look of Phoenix as the titular villain on Instagram, but this time it seems Todd has made sure that fans get a real glimpse of the transformation that a man goes through in order to become a psychopathic villain.
In the new clip, posted on Instagram, Phoenix is seen standing dressed as his character, Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian disregarded by society who ultimately turns into one of the most notorious yet most sensible villains of all times- and of course, Batman's one and only "beau."
As the camera zooms into Phoenix's face, who is otherwise standing in a rather composed posture, one could see flashes of a clown probably trying to creep out. Phoenix's face soon is overshadowed by a clown's smiling face, and ultimately- when all the baggy clothes and decent hair are gone, Phoenix emerges as the Joker with his diabolical laughter.
Phoenix had earlier mentioned that although he could not classify the film into any particular genre, it did feel unique. Speaking with Collider, the actor had said, "I think, underneath the excitement of these films, and the size of them, there are these incredible characters that are dealing with real life struggles. And sometimes that is uncovered and exposed, and sometimes it isn’t, and so I always felt, like, there were characters in comics that were really interesting and deserve the opportunity to be kind of studied. And so I think that’s what Todd sees appealing about this idea."
While the movie is expected to be a standalone, origin story for the character which will reveal how an ordinary man became the most extraordinary criminal of all times, Phoenix might be under little pressure since the role has been impeccably executed by actors like Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, and most recently, Jared Leto.
However, since it seems it was Phoenix's idea to do the film on the character, he will probably do justice to the most beloved villain- at least, from the video, it can be said that he certainly looks perfect as Joker. Joker is being executive produced by Martin Scorsese, and will also star Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, and Marc Maron, and will hit theatres on October 4, 2019.
On the work front, Phoenix's most recent movie 'The Sisters Brothers,' a dark Western comedy, is set to hit theatres in the US on September 21.