Joaquin Phoenix is Terrifying in First 'Joker' Trailer

With all the hype surrounding the upcoming Marvel film Avengers: Endgame, we almost forgot about the highly-anticipated DC film Joker. But now it's all we can think about, thanks to the first trailer which just dropped this morning.

The film, helmed by Todd Phillips, is set to be an origin story for the iconic villain, given the name Arthur Fleck. And the first trailer does just that, giving us a brief overview of the character before he turns into the infamous Gotham terror. But even though this is a pre-villain story, that doesn't mean it isn't scary. Joaquin Phoenix might just be his creepiest ever here.

Watch below.

Between clips of him bathing his mother (played by Frances Conroy), first putting on the clown makeup and wig, and debuting that bone-chilling Joker laugh, there's a ton to unpack here. It definitely needs more than just one watch.

Joker is set for an Oct. 4, 2019 release, and also stars Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Marc Maron, and as the trailer now announces, Brian Tyree Henry as well.