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Breaking Down the First Look at Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker

Warning: There are potential spoilers ahead for the Joker movie!

Director Todd Phillips recently surprised fans with an impromptu first glimpse of Joaquin Phoenix as the man who will become Batman‘s greatest villain. But this Joker looks more like No Country For Old Men‘s Anton Chigurh than a typical comic book bad guy. That’s because this Joker story is going to offer up a name and an origin for its titular icon. Today’s Nerdist News is examining the latest clues to bring this Joker to justice.

Join host and the Clown Princess of Crime, Jessica Chobot, as she pours over the first look at Arthur. That’s right, Joker’s real name is Arthur in this world. This appears to confirm an earlier rumor that Phoenix’s Joker would be called Arthur Fleck. In the comics, the Joker doesn’t have a name and his background was intentionally left vague. The only thing in this pic that even suggests Arthur’s destiny as the Joker is his dark green jacket.

Shortly after Phillips dropped the picture of Phoenix on Instagram, several photos from the set were leaked online. In these pics, Arthur seems decidedly unlike the Joker when he has a confrontation with a clown on the street. Arthur was also seen emerging from the “Ha Ha’s Talent Agency,” which suggests he will be a comedian in this incarnation.

Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s The Killing Joke depicted the Joker as a failed comedian who was driven mad by “one bad day.” As it happens, there’s even a Killing Joke reference in these pics. “Amusement Mile” was one of the locations from that story, and its name is painted on a mural behind Arthur and the clown.

The Joker movie is expected to hit theaters on October 4, 2019. Hopefully we’ll get some answers before then!

What do you think about the first look at Joaquin Phoenix as the man who will be the Joker? Tell us a joke in the comment section below!

Images: Todd Phillips/Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Comics

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