You were never really ha-ha-ha-here.

UPDATE: There is now video evidence of Joaquin Phoenix as “Arthur” — aka the new Joker — just in case you still refuse to believe that this is an actual movie that is really happening right now:

I kept saying I wouldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. Well now I’ve seen it with my own eyes and ... I kind of still don’t believe it? But here they are, some photos of Joaquin Phoenix from the set of his solo Joker movie, directed by The Hangover’s Todd Phillips. We don’t see his Joker costume or makeup; this is presumably a scene before Phoenix’s character has evolved into the bad guy we all know and love to fear. But he is hanging out with a clown, so maybe this is his inspiration for his inevitable transformation. Like later he’s sitting around stately Joker mansion wondering what to do with his life when this clown dude busts through the window. “That’s it!” he cries, “I shall be become a clown!”

The last time I saw Phoenix onscreen was just a few months ago in the excellent You Were Never Really Here. In that movie he had all the homicidal tendencies needed to play Batman’s greatest enemy but his beefy, lumpy physique was very different than traditional depictions of the character, who’s usually a lanky, even gaunt dude. Well, sure enough the Phoenix of these pictures (and the one above, taken recently at a press event) is a much skinner dude. And the weight loss really accentuates the angles of his facial features, another hallmark of the Joker, who tends to have a big nose and chin and very severe cheekbones. Even without the makeup, he looks like the Joker.

Phillips also released a photo of Phoenix in character, revealing that his character is named “Arthur.”

Can’t wait until Arthur gets caught between the moon and Gotham City. Phoenix’s Joker opens in theaters on October 4, 2019.

More From ScreenCrush