Alec Baldwin is not going to star as Thomas Wayne in the upcomingJokerorigin movie. News recently broke that Baldwin was set to play the father of Bruce Wayne, the young man who ultimately becomes Batman in the DC universe after his parents are gunned down in an alley, in the Warner Bros. production, which has Joaquin Phoenix on board in the title role. Now, in a pretty quick turn of events, Baldwin says that he’s no longer doing the movie.
Word ofAlec Baldwinbailing onJokerfirst broke over on Twitter. The actor took to Twitter to declare that he had not been hired to play a role in the movie. Initially, reports indicated that thisparticular portrayal of Thomas Waynewould see the character as an 80s business Tycoon, similar to Donald Trump during that time period. That was a sticking point in Baldwin’s tweet, but also made it so his initial statement wasn’t totally clear. Here’s what he had to say.
“Let me state, for the record, that I have not been hired to play a role in Todd Phillips' Joker as some Donald Trump manque. That is not happening. Not. Happening.”
Initially, there was some confusion, given the way he worded the statement. Was Alec Baldwin simply saying that he wasn’t hired to do a thinly-veiledDonald Trumpimpersonation? That was what many suspected he may be saying. However, in an interview not long after, Baldwin confirmed that he had indeed dropped out of theJokerorigin movie, citing scheduling conflicts, but he wouldn’t get more specific than that.
“I’m no longer doing that movie…I’m sure there are 25 guys who can play that part.”
So by the sound of things, Alec Baldwin was, at least for a brief time, indeed hired to play Thomas Wayne and then had to drop out. His casting made a great deal of sense, given the character description, and given that Baldwin has been nominated for two Emmys for his portrayal of President Trump onSaturday Night Live. At the present time, there’s no indication on who may be tapped to fill those shoes. Production is scheduled to begin in a little less than two weeks, so Warner Bros. will likely be quick to find a replacement.
In addition to Joaquin Phoenix, the cast includes Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Marc Maron, Bryan Callen and Robert de Niro. Todd Phillips will direct from a script he co-wrote alongside Scott Silver. This movie will exist outside of the current live-action DC universe and will stand on its own. This could also open the door for similar, future DC movies that also take place outside of the established continuity of movies likeJustice LeagueandWonder Woman.Jokeris set to hit theaters on July 28, 2025. This was previously reported byUSA Today. You can check out Alec Baldwin’s tweet for yourself below.
