The first look at Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker has arrived!
First images of the famous “Batman” villain always cause a stir in fans. When the first pictures of Heath Ledger’s Joker came out, many were initially worried that it would be too dark and gritty; obviously, they were wrong. A few years after that, when the first pictures of Jared Leto’s tattooed gangster version of the character were released, people thought it was too weird and unlike the Joker; they may have had reason to be concerned.
The first tease of Joaquin Phoenix’s take on the iconic character is … unexpected, to say the least. He isn’t wearing any make up, or really any of the Joker’s signature clothes. If I hadn’t known these were pictures for “Joker” I would’ve guessed it was a sequel to “No Country to Old Men” will Phoenix playing Anton Chigurh.
I have complete faith in Phoenix as an actor. His recent work in “Her” “The Master” “You Were Never Really Here” and “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” have cemented him as one of the all time greats, so I’m sure whatever he does with the Joker will be fun to watch.
However, the director behind “Joker” does make me slightly worried for the fate of this movie. Todd Phillips, director of “The Hangover” trilogy and “Old School” is helming this origins story. While those movies aren’t necessarily bad (except for the third “Hangover”), it’s not the kind of resume I’d assume would link up well with “Joker.” I’m going to try and stay positive and hope that the studio knows something about Phillips that I don’t.
On Friday, Phillips took to Instagram to unveil Phoenix’s camera test in makeup as the villain. He does look genuinely unhinged, which will hopefully translate into a terrifying and menacing performance.
What do you think of the first look at Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker? Does it make you more excited or less excited for the solo origin story?
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