Director Alejandro González Iñárritu has been the force behind some of the grittiest, heart wrenching, eye-opening dramas in recent memory. 21 Grams and Babel alone give a very sobering look to his filmography. When Iñárritu announced he was going to do a comedy called Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), it appeared to come out of nowhere. Of course, Birdman is an Iñárritu comedy, which means it’ll likely be a dark comedy that takes us on a head trip. The trailer, posted yesterday, definitely fits that description.

Birdman trails Michael Keaton as a former action star, Riggan Thomson, most noted for his role as a superhero called Birdman, and the mental instability he’s going through during his stint in a Broadway play. Some of you might have already just thought of this point before you read it here, but Keaton might be perfect for this movie having played Batman long ago. Of course, Keaton is far from being a washed-up actor trying to relaunch his career, but he does indeed know the glory of once playing an iconic superhero.  Given the bird motif and the frustrated arc of Keaton’s former A-list star seen in the trailer, there seems to be undertones of Black Swan, but done in a much more comedic and less horrific way. For instance, Keaton seems to be spend a number of scenes only awkwardly wearing white briefs.

The supporting cast of Birdman should prove to be another great layer in what’s already going to be one of the most intriguing comedies of 2014. Zach Galifianakis, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, and Andrea Riseborough round out a powerhouse cast and will no doubt give some award worthy performances with Iñárritu at the helm.

Birdman is set for a U.S. release on October 17th, which now, can’t come soon enough. Are you excited to see a former Batman play a former Birdman? Let us know in the comments below.