Joker teaser: Joaquin Phoenix takes Batman's arch nemesis to a very dark place

The first Joker teaser trailer has arrived, and it’s seriously dark stuff. First shown at CinemaCon on Tuesday, there’s no joking, some teasing, and an overwhelming sense of anticipation in th first glimpse of Todd Phillips’ new film.

Even a total comic-book novice will know about the Joker, an iconic DC villain and recurring character in so many children’s nightmares. The eponymous role, famously played by Jared Leto and Jack Nicholson, is this time filled by Joaquin Phoenix, an Oscar-nominated actor best known for films such as Gladiator and Walk the Line.

In this teaser, set to a soundtrack of Jimmy Durante’s Smile, we hear Phoenix’s slow, sinister voice declare, “My mother always tells me to smile, and put on a happy face.” He is portraying Arthur Fleck, the man who will become the Joker. Fleck is a failing comedian and struggling street clown who faces violence and rejection on the streets of Gotham City.

We see Fleck caring for and dancing with his mother, the woman who told him, he “had a purpose to bring laughter and joy to the world.”

Things quickly take a turn for the terrifying, and we see the first hints of the famous psychopath that we know Fleck will become.

Dancing in saggy y-fronts, laughing maniacally, appearing unfazed as a restrained man writhes on a gurney behind him – the character begins to take shape in subtle and surprising ways. Towards the end of the teaser, Fleck states, “I used to think my life was a tragedy, but now I realise, it’s a comedy.” The audience know it’s neither: this is a psychological thriller.

Joining Phoenix in the cast are Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, and Marc Maron.

Joker, which is distributed by Warner Bros, released on October 4.