2019 is a big year for fans of DC/Marvel films. Obviously, Avengers: Endgame hits theaters later this month, marking the end of the MCU as we know it. Then, later in the summer, Dark Phoenix is set to wrap up the current iteration of the X-Men in epic fashion. While Marvel is trending towards some major finales, DC is looking for new beginnings in their films, specifically The Joker.
Todd Phillips’ take on the Clown Prince of Crime has been intriguing audiences since it was first announced. No one’s known what to expect from the Joaquin Phoenix-led project, even as set photos leaked online. Recently, Phillips described it as a “tragedy.”
That speculation came to an end today, however, as the first trailer dropped online, after premiering Tuesday at CinemaCon. The trailer plants the film firmly in the ‘tragic’ genre. It shows a downtrodden Phoenix grow more and more disillusioned with society. It’s obviously hard to track anything about the film’s plot from the short snippets we see but, Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck is on the receiving end of more than a few punches. Throughout the footage shown, we also see Fleck caring for his elderly mother. This is very reminiscent of Hitchcock’s classic Psycho, which certainly doesn’t bode well for either Fleck or his mother. It ends with Phoenix in full Joker make-up dancing down a deserted street.
Check out the full trailer below:
The Joker hits theaters October 4th, 2019.
