When Warner Brothers first announced production on The Joker, fans wondered how they could do a Joker movie without his archnemesis, the Batman. (On the other hand, many were probably glad that the film doesn’t feature the Jared Leto version of the character, as seen in the 2016 film, Suicide Squad).
But the new trailer for the film makes a compelling case that the film, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix in the starring role, will stand on its own. Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck is a want-to-be stand-up comedian (who performs on a show hosted by a character played by Robert DiNiro), and, as we see in the trailer, things go bad for him… without the interference of a Caped Crusader.
Watch the trailer below. The Joker is in theaters on October 4.