Alec Baldwin to Play Bruce Wayne's Dad in Upcoming 'Joker' Movie

Alec Baldwin
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The '30 Rock' star is coming to the DC Universe.

Alec Baldwin is finally joining the Batman universe.

The gravel-voiced 30 Rock star has signed on to play Thomas Wayne -- the father of Bruce Wayne, the billionaire who would go on to become Batman following the murder of his parents in a Gotham City alley -- in Todd Philips' Joker.

The film is a standalone project centered around the iconic Clown Prince of Crime, with Joaquin Phoenix set to star at the titular villain.

This isn't the first brush with Batman lore for Baldwin. The actor famously was in the running to play the Caped Crusader himself in Tim Burton's Batman in 1989, after working with Burton on Beetlejuice the year before. 

After not getting the role, Baldwin ended up starring in The Shadow in 1994, playing the eponymous Batman-esque roguish billionaire vigilante. However, the film proved to be a commercial flop and critical failure and effectively ended the star's chances at portraying the Dark Knight.

Baldwin is the latest big name to join the cast, alongside Robert de Niro, Deadpool 2 star Zazie Beetz, and comedian Marc Maron.

The film -- which has been described as a darker, more down-to-earth take on The Joker's mythology, in the vein of Taxi Driver -- is reportedly reimagining Batman's lore a bit, and depicting Thomas Wayne as a fake tan-rocking blowhard businessman, potentially evoking a mid-1980s Donald Trump persona, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Although this has not been officially confirmed.

For more on the many on-screen iterations of The Joker, check out the video below.

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