Alec Baldwin has dropped out of playing the role of Thomas Wayne in Warner Bros. “Joker,” an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
“I’m no longer doing that movie,” Baldwin told USAToday, citing “scheduling.” “I’m sure there are 25 guys who can play that part,” Baldwin added.
The film, set to be directed by Todd Phillips, will star Joaquin Phoenix as the clown prince of crime.
Thomas Wayne first made his appearance in Detective Comics #33 (Nov. 1939) in Batman’s origin story. He is the father of Bruce Wayne, who is Batman, and husband of Martha Wayne. Thomas Wayne was a gifted physician and philanthropist in Gotham City. When Dr. Wayne and his wife are murdered in a street robbery after a screening of Tyrone Power’s “Zorro,” the young Bruce Wayne becomes inspired to fight crime as the vigilante Batman.
While story details are being kept under wraps, TheWrap previously reported that the origin story for Batman’s nemesis will be more of a mid-budget crime thriller than a superhero blockbuster.
Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow will co-produce the film. Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Richard Baratta, whose producing credits include Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” are attached as producers. The film will be released on Oct. 4, 2019, with production set to begin in New York in September.
Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Marc Maron and Frances Conroy — as the Joker’s mother — round out the rest of the cast.
Baldwin is repped by CAA.