See First Image of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker in Origin Film About Batman Villain

The upcoming, standalone Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix has shared its first image of the actor as the infamous Batman nemesis.

The film’s director Todd Phillips shared a picture of the make-up less Phoenix in character as simply “Arthur” on his Instagram; it was previously revealed that Phoenix’s character would be named Arthur Fleck in the film. The movie will be an origin story of the villain who was previously portrayed on the big screen by Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and, most recently, Jared Leto.

“Under the direction of Todd Phillips, the film centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen,” the film’s synopsis states. Phillips’ exploration of a man disregarded by society is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.

The Joker movie, produced by Martin Scorsese and reportedly inspired by that filmmaker’s King of Comedy and Taxi Driver, is due out in October 2019.

Additionally, audio-less, on-set video of Phoenix’s “Arthur” having an argument with a man dressed as a clown on a trash-strewn street has surfaced.