The official photos of Joaquin Phoenix for the Joker film might suggest that he is playing a mild-mannered man named Arthur. However, the latest video taken from the set of the film confirms that the Clown Prince of Crime will terrorize commuters next year.
The video was shared by TMZ and opens with a group of commuters waiting at a subway station in uptown Manhattan. Suddenly, passengers rush out of the train as a group attacks an unidentified man. Through all the commotion, Phoenix emerges from the train dressed in a purple suit and casually removes his clown mask to reveal he is wearing clown makeup underneath. Take a look at the video below.
It's an awesome scene confirming that the Joker will be up to no good in the film. There is little doubt that he had persuaded the passengers to attack the man in the footage. In addition to that, it's great to see that Phoenix's look is paying tribute to Cesar Romero, who played the Joker in the 1960s Batman TV series. It's also an awesome nod to Heath Ledger, who wore a similar mask in The Dark Knight.
The video was not officially released by director Todd Phillips. It was actually taken by paparazzi who have been following the cast and crew of the Joker film as they filmed several scenes. Phillips has previously spoken up about the paparazzi, stating that they are releasing "bad shots" of his stars. This is why the director decided to share an official image of Zazie Beets as Sophie Dumond on his official Instagram page.
There is little doubt that we will be seeing more updates about the Joker film in the next few days, whether it's from Phillips or the paparazzi. Nevertheless, it's exciting to see that Phoenix's take on the iconic character will be just as dark as we're hoping it would be.
The Joker film is scheduled for release on October 4, 2019.
Related: Joker Movie: First Look At Zazie Beetz As Sophie Dumond