The first image of the new movie Joker has hit the Internet, and responses are mixed…though mostly mocking. The picture is pretty extreme, and I’m not sure how I really feel about it, but it’s clear they went in an entirely different direction than Heath Ledger’s Joker. That was probably the best idea.

On a surface level, I don’t like it, mostly because I’ve never understood the appeal of grills. Why do you want to put metal on your front teeth like that? It looks painful and stupid. But on the other hand, I’m willing to give this Joker a chance. The Joker is one of those characters who can be re-interpreted in any number of different ways. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s an established part of the character that he’s constantly changing his image.

And in the dark and gritty DC Cinematic Universe, perhaps this is what the Joker looks like. I don’t really have much faith in the DCCU, but maybe they’re going somewhere where this. I’m willing to wait and see.

But I do find it kind of funny that this Joker was revealed at the same time as the Internet is collectively mocking a similarly proposed and rejected take on Spider-Man.

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