Brett Cullen Steps into the Role of Batman’s Dad in Joker
Following Alec Baldwin’s departure from Joker due to a scheduling conflict, the role of Batman’s dad, Thomas Wayne, has been a big question mark. We finally have an answer to the riddle as ComicBook.com reports Brett Cullen will play the elder Wayne. Cullen is no stranger to Gotham as he played a Congressman in The Dark Knight Rises.
Cullen has several impressive credits to his name having appeared in Ghost Rider, Person of Interest, and LOST. The character may receive a good amount of focus in this iteration and may make for one of Cullen’s largest roles yet. Plot details are light on the new adaptation, but it seems unlikely the conflict will arise between Joker and Batman. Bruce will be very young during the events of the film.
Thomas Wayne has typically had a squeaky-clean persona. He is often depicted as a martyr in the story of Bruce Wayne’s evolution seen as a talented and generous father cut down by random crime in a city rampant with violence. This is usually the catalyst that inspires Batman to adopt the cape and clean up Gotham City.
ComicBook.com describes the role as being potentially more controversial. Bruce’s is dad might not be the innocent bystander we’ve come to know. Could The saintly Thomas Wayne be mixed up in Gotham’s underbelly? Maybe he goes in cahoots, or even crosses, the Joker, which leads to his ultimate demise.
Director Todd Phillips unmasked Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker for the first time yesterday. He looks strikingly normal, which indicates that this is probably a pre-villainous phase. The new film has named the character Arthur Fleck signaling he has yet to become full Joker. However, wouldn’t it be wild if Joaquin Phoenix completely powered the character with his performance and none of the clown makeup we’ve come to expect? Unlikely, but very interesting.
Joker will hit theaters October 2019.
Featured Image: Actor Brett Cullen attends “The Runaways” premiere during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival at Eccles Center Theatre on January 24, 2010 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
