Alec Baldwin's absence from Beetlejuice 2 (officially titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) can be explained.
Alongside Michael Keaton, Baldwin's Adam Maitland and his wife, Geena Davis' Barbara Maitland, start off the original Beetlejuice driving to decorate their country home in Winter River, Connecticut.
Tragically, they crash their car after avoiding a dog on the road, leading to their deaths in a nearby river before Winona Ryder's Lydia Deetz and her parents buy the Maitlands' old house.
What Happens to Alec Baldwin's Character Before Beetlejuice 2?
Following Adam and Barbara Maitland's deaths in the car accident in 1988's Beetlejuice, the two become ghosts and move into the afterlife. They are told they have to remain in their house for 125 years, even after the Deetz family buys the property and moves in.
In order to live alone, Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis' characters would have to scare away the Deetzes as ghosts. Lydia then realizes she is able to see them while her parents cannot, leading the Matilands to contact Michael Keaton's Betelgeuse for assistance.
After chaos ensues, including the Maitlands almost being exorcised, Lydia summons Betelgeuse for help. In exchange for saving the Maitlands, Betelgeuse tells Lydia she has to marry him, allowing him to wreak havoc in the mortal world.
At the wedding, the Maitlands intervene before the ceremony ends, with Barbara riding a sandworm through the house and using it to consume Betelgeuse.
After this, the Maitlands and Deetzes agree to live in peace within the house.
However, as of writing, neither Geena Davis or Alec Baldwin are confirmed to be returning for Beetlejuice 2.
Alec Baldwin & Geena Davis' Status for Beetlejuice 2
Speaking with People, Barbara Maitland star Geena Davis revealed she had not been contacted to return to her role in Beetlejuice 2.
Even while admitting that she wants "to play every character [she's] ever played again," she understands the issue of bringing her Beetlejuice character back.
Pointing out the fact that "ghosts don't age," she had trouble figuring out an explanation for why she and Baldwin would look older if they were to return:
"I have a feeling that ghosts don't age. How would they explain that they're older?"
The marketing material for Beetlejuice 2 has not confirmed a reason why Davis and Baldwin's characters will not be in the movie.
Is the Alec Baldwin Controversy Involved in Beetlejuice 2 Absence?
While the age issue is certainly a legitimate one for Davis and Baldwin's involvement, modern-day de-aging technology could potentially make that problem nonexistent (as was the case for the villains in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home).
However, one problem may be the controversial incident involving Baldwin that could have made Warner Bros. hesitant to bring him back.
In 2021, Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the upcoming movie Rust, also injuring director Joel Souza. This came after Baldwin accidentally fired a live round from a Colt .45 during rehearsals, believing it was an unloaded prop gun.
Baldwin entered a not-guilty plea after an original plea deal fell apart. Although the case was eventually thrown out (per Variety), this came long after Beetlejuice 2 finished its production schedule.
Having him involved, regardless of his guilt or innocence, could potentially hurt the movie's performance from an optics perspective alone.
This is especially true in an era where fans pay closer attention to off-screen events such as this (see the highly-publicized domestic abuse trial centered around Amber Heard and Johnny Depp.)
Regardless of the reasoning, there is plenty of evidence to indicate Alec Baldwin will not be involved in any way with Beetlejuice 2.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will debut in theaters on September 6.
Read more about Beetlejuice 2 below:
Beetlejuice 2 Gets Unsurprising Rating
