Joaquin Phoenix Is Unrecognizable In His Transformation For His New Movie

Actor Joaquin Phoenix — known for a range of films, including 2012's "The Master" and 2019's "Joker" — is no stranger to physically transforming himself to fit his roles. Whether it's a spitting image of famed American singer Johnny Cash in 2005's "Walk the Line," a mustached introvert in 2013's "Her," or the long-hair-long-beard look to portray Jesus Christ in 2018's "Mary Magdalene," Phoenix does whatever it takes to fully embody his characters.

A recent notable example of the extreme physical lengths Phoenix will go to is the whopping 52 pounds he lost to transform into Arthur Fleck for "Joker." On his physical transformation, Phoenix told Jimmy Kimmel in an interview, "It is difficult at times, but then there's something very empowering about it as well ... it's incredible, you start to feel energized and excited."

With his track record, it likely comes as no surprise that Phoenix now looks unrecognizable once again, this time in preparation for his role in "Midsommar" director Ari Aster's upcoming film, "Disappointment Blvd."

Very little is known so far about "Disappointment Blvd.," except that it has been described as "an intimate, decades-spanning portrait of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time" (via Deadline). But we have just gotten an early look at Phoenix on the set — and he looks completely transformed. Several Twitter accounts, including Joaquin Phoenix Updates, have posted pictures, many of which were taken from a Daily Mail article.

The first difference likely to be noticed is Phoenix's hair, which has now gone completely gray for this role. Secondly, Phoenix seems to have put on weight and now has a bit of a "pot belly," as the Daily Mail described him. The article places one of these recent pictures next to a still from "Joker," which really emphasizes the difference in body weight. One Twitter user, @mavericksmovies, posted another couple of photos from the set; these ones show Phoenix inside of a car, with a few large red scars on his face. The poster captioned the photos, "Joaquin Phoenix looks like he's gonna be straight up unrecognizable in the new Ari Aster [film]."

We can't wait to see how Phoenix's new appearance ties into the plot of "Disappointment Blvd" when we find out more about the upcoming film.