Joaquin Phoenix as Joker Unveiled in First-Look Photo; Check It Out

Why so serious?

Director Todd Phillips took to Instagram to share the first look of Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, Batman's arch-nemesis, in a stand-alone film which tells the origin story of Gotham City's most infamous villain. Simply captioning the image 'Arthur', the image shows a weary looking Phoenix staring numbly into the camera lens.

Joker, directed by Todd Phillips of "The Hangover" comedy trilogy, is expected to emerge as a dark character study into one of Batman's most infamous enemies.

With Joaquin Phoenix as a struggling comedian who, it is said, may be related to Batman himself, Robert De Niro is involved as a TV host whose approval Joker needs, Marc Maron as a talent agent, and Zazie Beetz as Joker's love interest.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the stand-alone film will follow the origin of Batman's most notorious foe as he transforms from a struggling stand-up comedian to a full-blown criminal force of nature. The movie is described as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.” Phillips co-wrote the script with The Fighter and The Finest Hours scribe Scott Silver.