I’ll be the first to admit that I was torn on the idea of a standalone Joker movie. We seem to be living in an era where DC keeps trying to create Batman-adjacent properties rather than giving the Caped Crusader his own chance to shine. This was incredibly evident in the FOX series Gotham, which will eventually turn into its own origin of the Dark Knight himself. Plus, creating a film outside of the DC Extended Universe is a move that could have felt defeatist.

But there was a part of me that at least hoped for the potential. Rather than trying hard to find filmmakers who could work within a framework, why not give them the opportunity to tell one great story before moving? Audiences are smart enough that they can understand different film continuities, so why not? The love child of that idea is called Joker, and it stars Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker and is helmed by The Hangover‘s Todd Phillips. Phillips has been very kind to share the progress of the film via Instagram, including a first look at the character (shown above). But now, he’s gone on to share the first poster of the movie…check it out below!

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BvwiSWfpn-M/

Okay…okay. Okay. Okay.

This is badass. I love how Phoenix’s head is tilted back. It’s as if he’s at the end of some performance and his opening himself up for applause from an audience…and the blood on his chin seems to imply that his audience is laying in a bloody mess on the floor. It’s packed with implied violence and insanity, and it has a creative use of negative space.

The logo itself is pretty standard DC fare, as is the “put on a happy face” tagline, but none of it feels stupid or out of place. Perhaps most exciting is that we’ll actually be seeing a teaser trailer for the movie tomorrow, as shared by Phillips in the Instagram caption. So, based on the poster…are you in? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: Tod Phillips