Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker’ Movie Adds Alec Baldwin as Batman….’s Dad

The most exciting thing about the upcoming Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix is that it'll be a standalone film with no ties to existing films in the DC Universe. This gives actors like Phoenix the chance to do a comic book movie without having to sign a contract guaranteeing they'll do six more of these movies before they die. This has also helped to nab some other big names who likely don't want a similar commitment, like the already announced Robert De Niro, who will now be joined by Alec Baldwin.

According to Deadline, the sonorous actor has joined the cast of Todd Phillips' film which is set to begin filming in two weeks. Warner Brothers hasn't announced Baldwin's role, but the rumor is that he's going to be playing Thomas Wayne, father of Bruce Wayne and the man whose murder sets Bruce down the path to becoming Batman.

Whether they're going the Burton 89 route of having Joker be the trigger man on that infamous murder remains to be seen, but it'd be awfully strange to have Thomas Wayne just hanging around and not end up taking a dirt nap. Since the film is essentially the cinematic equivalent of an Elseworlds comic, why not just do it this way? Joker is due in theaters on October 4, 2019.