Joaquin Phoenix debuts as The Joker in first look released by Todd Phillips, director of origin movie

A first look at Joker in the yet-to-be-titled Joker origin movie was released on Instagram by director Todd Phillips, heralding Joaquin Phoenix's takeover of the iconic character.

Phillips captioned the image with just "Arthur" which was the dreaded villain's original name before he took on the moniker.

The caption reiterates what we already know: the film will shed light on how a formerly well-meaning man became one of the most dangerous criminals of all time.

The Warner Bros-DC production will serve as a prequel to Christopher Nolan's 2008 movie The Dark Knight, it was earlier confirmed. Famed director Martin Scorsese will produce the film with Phillips.

The film is described as an "exploration of a man disregarded by society that is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale." The origin story will be set in 1980s Gotham City, with the Wayne family represented by its patriarch, Thomas. Alec Baldwin, who was earlier cast as Thomas, recently opted out of the film due to "scheduling" issues.

Scott Silver has co-written the script with Phillips. The film is scheduled to hit theatres on 4 October, 2019.