He's a Joker and a Smoker: Joaquin Phoenix Lights Up on NYC Subway Set

Gotham City transportation rules do not concern Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. In a new set video filmed in Brooklyn, The Joker does something unthinkable to today's commuter: smoke a cigarette in the subway. The set video sees Phoenix, in full Joker garb and makeup, stroll through a tunneled walkway and casually light up a cigarette. Gotham Police officers rush past him in the opposite direction as innocent bystanders cower in fear.

Not sure if that officer who fell was on purpose or an accident? Fans in the comments are hoping that makes the final cut. We're seeing a steady stream of video footage of Phoenix's take on the Joker. One of the first also showed The Joker in plain clothes smoking a cigarette while walking out of a building before getting into an altercation with a clown, angrily throwing the clown's nose on the ground. More set photos also show Joker smoking outside a hospital. Addiction is no joke, kids. There's a reason this film is Rated-R.

The scene above could be related to a recent slew of set photos from last week showing a subway car with multiple Joker imposters holding signs like, "Kill the Rich," but it's hard to decipher plot without dialogue. The leaks so far have generated extreme hype for the film, which was dubbed the "Joker origin movie nobody wants" when it was first announced. Some are even (prematurely) comparing Phoenix to Heath Ledger's Joker. The leaks have increased since the film began filming in NYC last month. Still, there's not much information regarding blot aside from what Warner Bros. officially announced, which is next to nothing except Joker's real name, Arthur Fleck.

Joker is directed by Todd Phillips. Martin Scorsese is an executive producer. The film also stars Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen and Marc Maron. The film is expected Oct. 4, 2019.