First Alex Baldwin was aboard Todd Phillips' forthcoming Joker project, then the actor denied playing a "Trump manque" of a mogul before he bowed out of the film completely this week, citing the old scheduling issues. Said the Oscar-nominated actor to USA Today: "I'm sure there are 25 guys who can play that part."
Which naturally prompts the question: Who are some of the top 25 guys that Phillips might turn to that could play Batman's dad, Thomas Wayne?
Phillips is assembling a fascinating array of names for his cast, with Robert De Niro, Marc Maron and Zazie Beetz starring alongside Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. So the one-time Baldwin role could be an A-lister or a hip-pick wild card. Let's consider just a few such options:
1. Kevin Costner
: Amid his TV Westerns and leading big-screen turns, Costner carved out a few days to play Superman's spectral Midwestern pop. Since Phillips's Joker movie lives in a different world than the formal DCEU, why not let Costner do double daddy duty, allowing him to bring some sly side-grin to Phillips' brand of comedy?
A post shared by Kevin Costner & Modern West (@kevincostnermodernwest) on May 11, 2018 at 2:31pm PDT
2. Jon Hamm:
If John Slattery can play a striking father to Tony Stark for Marvel, why not age up fellow "Mad Men" alum Hamm a bit to play in DC's world? Hamm has said he has been offered multiple superhero roles and rejected such franchise-costume commitments - but a short-term turn might entice if he's allowed to inject some smirking wit.
A post shared by Jon.hamm (@_jon.hamm_) on Aug 29, 2018 at 2:43am PDT
3. Al Pacino:
You want intense from your Bat-Daddy? Let the former "Dick Tracy" actor dial it up - if only to see him in another scene opposite De Niro, a la "Heat."
A post shared by AL PACINO (@dailypacino) on Aug 30, 2018 at 10:02am PDT
4. Matt Walsh:
As busy as this Phillips film veteran is, the "Veep" comedian could readily deliver a gravitas-with-a-wink performance to lend the role an offbeat twist.
A post shared by Matt Walsh (@mrmattwalsh) on Mar 12, 2018 at 3:56pm PDT
5. Christopher Plummer:
He's as smooth as such Bat-film veterans as Jeremy Irons and Michael Caine. Plus, he's acting's greatest "in case of emergency" fill-in.
A post shared by Welcome to the Past (@foreverxxvintage) on Aug 28, 2018 at 5:04am PDT
6. Jack Nicholson:
Who better to tweak the Joker three decades later?
A post shared by Topheads Eyewear (@topheads_eyewear) on Aug 31, 2018 at 12:06am PDT