Despite the increased spotlight in playing the Clown Prince of Crime in the upcoming Joker origin film, Joaquin Phoenix appears completely unfazed by the pressure of taking the high-profile role.

While promoting his latest film, The Sister Brothers, Phoenix was asked if he felt any pressure in portraying the iconic DC Comics supervillain in director/co-writer Todd Phillips' upcoming prequel film.

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"I could care less," admitted Phoenix in an interview with IndieWire. "I don’t really think that much about what people think. Who cares, who cares? My approach to every movie is the same. What I’m interested in is the filmmaker and the idea of the character."

This is a sharp contrast to comments Phoenix made last month shortly after his casting was officially confirmed by Warner Bros. in which the actor disclosed that, in some ways, the project "scared the fucking shit" out of him. With principal photography expected to begin next month, Phoenix appears more annoyed that his press commitments to his upcoming Western film conflict with his preparation for the role.

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"It is ideal to be able to focus on one thing and not do press, while you’re prepping for something else, which is not working out," explained Phoenix.

Directed and co-written by Todd Phillips, Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character along with Robert De Niro, Marc Maron, and Zazie Beetz. It is scheduled to be released on October 4, 2019.