The Joker Reveal: Reactions To Joaquin Phoenix's Killer Clown

2. There's Faith In The Maniacal Clown Yet

[Ash Millman]

Whilst first images might have seemed disappointing for Joker’s deranged makeup disaster, I'm the first to admit that as soon as Phoenix steps out of stills and into set footage, the whole get-up becomes remarkably more sinister. What was first feeling like a derivative ‘Hey, look, I’m so crazy!’ get-up seems to actually throw its weight around - or at least, there’s room to hope so from the most recent clip to surface.

Bringing an innate swagger to the role as well as a lovely palette change to the Joker’s old purple suit, Phoenix opens up the doors to us potentially getting a whole new character that’s definitively his own: and he looks scary as heck.

It’s great to see him bring a new air to the role that isn’t Ledger’s nuance or Leto’s ‘damaged’ property, but rather his own brand of flamboyant psychopathy, that taps into what looks to be Joker’s street-smarts as well as his unhinged mind.

We haven’t been given much, but it’s enough to get excited about. Phoenix has the toolkit to bring the character roaring, or rather hysterically laughing, back to life, and it seems he’s got his whole own way of doing it, which is exactly what's needed. There’s faith in the maniacal clown yet.