April 3 (UPI) -- Joaquin Phoenix dons clown makeup and a purple suit in the first teaser trailer for Warner Bros. and DC Comics' upcoming psychological thriller, Joker.
The clip, released on Wednesday, follows Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a man who descends into madness after facing multiple hardships on the streets of Gotham City.
Fleck then starts to transform into the iconic Joker -- best known as Batman's greatest foe -- as he begins to take his revenge against society.
"I used to think that my life was a tragedy but now I realize it's a comedy," Fleck says.
The teaser trailer also briefly features stars Zazie Beetz and Robert De Niro as a late night talk show host who invites the Joker onto his program.