Just last week, our first look atJoaquin Phoenixas “Arthur” in Warner Bros.’ standaloneJokermovie arrived. And now we have our first look at the character in Joker makeup via Warner Bros’s official Twitter—at least we think this is the final makeup.The HangoverandWar DogsfilmmakerTodd Philipshatched the idea to create a standaloneJokermovie set in 1970s New York City, chronicling the origin story of the iconicBatmanvillain with a unique, somewhat original story. He co-wrote and directs the film, which is currently in production, and while we still don’t know exactly what that story entails, reports have swirled that Phillips’ film is inspired byMartin Scorsese’s filmThe King of Comedy. IndeedRobert De Nirohas a role in the film and the story reportedly involves a comedy club of some sort.
This screen test video shows off the “Joker makeup”, but it’s really more like just straight-up clown makeup. Some of the first set photos saw Phoenix’s character messing around with actorGlenn Fleshler, who was wearing more traditional clown makeup. That’s kind of what we see here. DoesJokerinvolve literal clowns?
All bets are off with this film as it does not have any continuity with the existing DC films likeSuicide SquadorBatman v Superman, so Phillips is really pretty free to put his own stamp on the character. Which means we may never see the more “messy” versions of Joker makeup we’ve seen fromHeath Ledger,Jack Nicholson, andJared Leto. And honestly that’s fine. I’d much rather Phillips make something wildly ambitious than a film that just feels like it’s treading familiar territory.
Anyway, take a look at the video and Joker makeup below. Let us know what you think in the comments. The film also starsZazie Beets,Marc Maron,Bill Camp,Shea Whigham,Douglas Hodge,Josh Pais, andBrett Cullen.Jokeropens in theaters on August 03, 2025.
Here’s the official synopsis forJoker:
“Joker” centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.
