Joaquin Phoenix shows off his disturbing Joker laugh in the first trailer for DC's Joker

DC has a new clown prince of crime.

Warner Bros. on Wednesday debuted the first trailer for Joker, its new film telling the iconic Batman villain's origin story. The trailer shows off Joaquin Phoenix's take on the character, including his suitably disturbing laugh, which Arthur Fleck lets out in a comedy club and then again while dressed as a clown on the subway. Good luck getting that sound out of your head anytime soon.

The Joker here is a failed comedian who describes himself as just wanting to bring laughter and joy to the world, but he slowly descends into madness, with the footage giving off a clear Taxi Driver vibe. The movie, which is directed by Todd Phillips, also looks to inspired by Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy, which is also about a failed comedian and stars Robert De Niro, who makes an appearance in the Joker trailer as a TV host.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Near the end of the trailer, Phoenix is shown in his full Joker costume and make-up dancing down a staircase as he declares, "I used to think my life was a tragedy, but now I realize it's a comedy." This movie features DC's second live-action Joker in three years, although Phoenix's character is completely unrelated to the one played by Jared Leto in Suicide Squad.

The Joker trailer makes its debut just ahead of the opening of Shazam!, easily its most upbeat and fun DC film yet. Needless to say, Joker will be a significant tonal shift. Watch the trailer below. Brendan Morrow