Since the characters’ creation on April 25, 1940, The Joker has been portrayed in many different ways and forms. Known as the Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker is considered Batman’s greatest villain, and for good reason. Now, actor Joaquin Phoenix takes a crack at playing the Batman villain in the next live-action film featuring the character as a creepy, laughing, and troubled person. Set in the early 1980s, Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian who is affected by failure at his jobs and what looks to be a sick mother that he is taking care of.

As the trailer begins, we get a voice over from Fleck that demonstrates his close relationship with his mother, played by Frances Conroy. The first trailer definitely gives the feeling that this version of the character is the result of his surroundings. A harsh and abusive environment seems to play a key role in the character’s descent into madness as certain cuts of the trailer show. In it, Fleck is shown being knocked down and beaten by local street thugs while dancing on the side of the street with a cardboard sign.

The result of constant abuse shows the lasting effects it can have on an unstable mind after just trying to make ends meet. As many fans of the franchise know, Gotham City is known to have a very dark history. But from within that darkness, there looks to be one other person in Gotham that will try to keep Fleck stable with Zazie Beetz’s character most likely being the love interest in the film.

Two characters from the Batman lore that seem to be a mystery in the film are Thomas Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth. For those unfamiliar with Batman’s history, Thomas Wayne is Batman’s father while Pennyworth is the family’s loyal butler who also acts as Bruce’s legal guardian. While Pennyworth has cared for Bruce his whole life, he also acts as his equipment expert and mechanic. It is yet to be mentioned if a young Bruce will be seen in the actual film.

Though Joker is a DC Comics property, the film itself will be a stand-alone from the rest of the DC films being released as of late. If the first trailer of Joker is any indication of the finished product, then director Todd Phillips has surely helped create a new version of the character that audiences have yet to see and will be blown away by. Joker opens in theatres October later this year.