Well, that was fast. Almost immediately after it was announced that Alec Baldwin would play Thomas Wayne in DC’s upcoming Joker origin movie, he’s already backed out. Thomas Wayne is obviously the father of Bruce Wayne, better known as Batman. When asked about the role, Baldwin commented that he was “no longer doing that movie.” He noted confidence that there were 25 people who could play the part. From there he cited scheduling conflicts as the reason for this falling through. Though he didn’t state what those conflicts included, as expected. That being said, it may be difficult to imagine someone else playing the role, given why he was likely chosen. The film’s version of the character would be portrayed as a “cheesy businessman,” very much in the vein of 1980s Donald Trump. The creators likely had Baldwin on the short list, given his playing Trump on SNL, several times.
The traditional portrayal of the character isn’t the most consistent thing in the world. Though he’s usually depicted as being at least something of a stand-up individual. Different iteration, based on different versions of Batman, himself, portrayed his relationship with his son differently. In some instances, they were incredibly close. In others, Bruce pined for his father’s affection and approval. This varies from one psychoanalysis of the character to another. And it’s unlikely this version of the character will become the Dark Knight himself, like his Flashpoint counterpart.
With this new update, the role is once again unfilled. First, the studio offered the role to Viggo Mortensen. However, the Lord of the Rings actor turned it down. Who the role goes to next is up in the air. But while this role is unfilled, many others have since been occupied. Robert De Niro and Zazie Beetz are also set to appear, for example, and several roles have yet to be revealed despite actors being attached or talked about. Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, hits theaters October 4, 2019.
