A little while ago, while I was in a mood for good Batman stories, I got to thinking about Thomas Wayne. He’s such a major figure, and yet we see very little of him. In fact, let’s be honest – when Thomas Wayne is on film, his key role is essentially to die. To provide the tragic backstory that begins the story of Batman.
But while he’s often been relegated to small or even non-speaking roles, there have been two portrayals of the character on film that have really stood out. And what’s particularly fascinating is that, essentially, we’re presented with two extremely different takes on the character. Naturally, I’m referring to Batman Begins in 2005, and the far more recent Joker from 2019.
Father figure
Revisiting Batman Begins for the first time in several years, one thing I was extremely surprised by was that – even in one of the deepest explorations of a pre-Batman Bruce Wayne depicted on film – we still see very little of Thomas Wayne (played in this film by Linus Roache). The main reason I was surprised by this was the fact that, unlike so many other depictions of the character, the one we saw in Begins was so clear and memorable.
What really helps is that, with both Christopher Nolan’s and David S. Goyer’s script, the few scenes Thomas appears in do leave an impact, at least. I think we all remember the line, “Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.”
Even the way he’s introduced is perfect: when his son falls into a cave, he makes sure to rescue him personally. The fact that we first see him through Bruce’s eyes directly makes him seem almost like a guardian angel.
And we are definitely presented with a strong father figure in this story. When his son becomes extremely scared at a performance while they’re at the theater, he asks if they could go. Rather than object, Thomas listens to his son’s wishes and leaves. Not just because his son had asked, but because he could clearly see his son was afraid. Essentially, Thomas Wayne is presented as the ideal father figure, one who tries to reassure his son even as he dies on the streets. Essentially, it’s all done to heighten the tragedy of the character’s death, and it’s handled beautifully.
Powerful figure
It’s ironic that Joker presents us with such a radically different interpretation of Thomas Wayne, both on film and in many other sources, as it’s probably the most we ever see of the character on the big screen.
Seen through lead protagonist Arthur Fleck’s eyes, Brett Cullen’s portrayal of Thomas Wayne is, on the surface, seen to be a lot less sympathetic than Linus Roache’s. While Begins gave us an extremely sympathetic character, Joker instead presents us with a man who would punch a man with mental illness in the face.
Even worse is that, during a television interview, he writes off people less fortunate than himself and critical of the rich and powerful as being nothing but “clowns”. Not only is this tactless, but it arguably helps to embolden a movement created by Fleck’s desperate actions. Honestly, this version of Thomas Wayne is hardly the most sympathetic take on the character.
Rich arsehole or just out of touch?
But does that make him a man who’s beyond redemption? No, hardly that. In fact, I wouldn’t even say that it’s too difficult to reconcile with what we’ve seen before of the character. Because what’s particularly interesting about Thomas Wayne in Joker is that this is the first time we’ve seen Bruce’s father through someone else’s eyes. Does that make him a complete arsehole? No. But it does mean that we see different sides to him.
For example, punching Arthur in the face isn’t exactly a sympathetic moment, especially as we had been following Arthur so closely for most of the movie. But then, considering that Arthur had tried to reach his home and even actually touched his kid, that moment is definitely more than understandable. In fact, in some ways, it’s another version of the ideal father figure: one who aims to protect his son, no matter what.
His comments about citizens less fortunate than him as clowns is definitely more problematic. But is he a complete arsehole for thinking that way? Or is he simply out of touch with the people he wants to represent? The latter is certainly more interesting. In many version of the Batman mythos, Thomas Wayne is presented as someone who genuinely wants to help the poor. But, while that may be true in Joker, his power and status may have blinded him to both what they go through and the ongoing tensions of the city.
In some ways, Nolan explored a similar idea with The Dark Knight Rises. The movie highlighted that, while Bruce had lost so much, he was still unaware of how angry the lower class of the city were at Gotham’s elite, not to mention the fact that he inherited all of his wealth directly from his father. It wasn’t something that he made personally, and he certainly couldn’t have been Batman without any of it. So if Bruce Wayne himself can miss the problems of the poor and the lower class, then it’s easy to see why Thomas Wayne would be guilty of doing the same.
Watching Batman Begins back to back with Joker is an interesting experience. Not only are both fascinating origin stories, but seeing how they present two distinct versions of the same character is fascinating to watch. On top of that, it also presents a great excuse to watch two great comic book films.
Which version of Thomas Wayne do you prefer? The idealized father figure of Batman Begins? Or the considerably more flawed version we got in Joker? Do you think a mixture of both depictions could work? Let me know in the comments below.
Thoughts from a hardcore Whovian 