In the beginning, Joker was supposed to be set in a 70s/80s-era Gotham City, and co-produced by and co-starring Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, respectively. Even without Scorsese’s involvement in the final product however, much of the film’s plot still parallels Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. The studio wanted Leonardo DiCaprio for the lead role but Phoenix was always Phillips’ first choice, and after Scorsese dropped off the project, first-look footage of Joaquin as Joker began to surface and garner more interest from audiences. The initial trailer was subsequently released and it showcased Arthur Fleck, a failing comedian struggling with mental illness and his deteriorating city, ultimately becoming The Joker.

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Everything You Need to Know Before Experiencing ‘Joker’

Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is finally set to make its much-anticipated arrival to cinema after over a year of hype, build-up, and impending controversy following the release of its first few trailers. Many fans of the Joker were skeptical when Warner Bros.