The highly anticipated first trailer for the upcoming Warner Bros. production Joker, the first DC Comics film in recent years to be set outside of the DCEU (DC Extended Universe), was released yesterday morning. It’s already taken the world by storm with over 7 million views since being posted.
The trailer gives an introduction to a grittier, darker Gotham, much akin in spirit to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. The trailer shows a man named Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) as a failing stand-up comedian who slowly begins his descent into madness. We’re only given glimpses into Fleck’s life, but the first trailer gives us the indication that this is a portrayal of the Joker that is more on par with the darkness that the late Heath Ledger brought to the character in 2008’s The Dark Knight. This is only a teaser, and there’s so much more to be revealed in coming months, but we’re liking what we’ve seen so far.
Joker is set to be released on October 4, 2019 nationwide. In addition to Phoenix, the film stars Robert DeNiro, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Marc Maron, and Brett Cullen. View the first trailer for Joker below.