Jeffrey Dean Morgan Confirms Whether Zack Snyder Had Plans For Flashpoint Batman

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Due to the many, many times we've seen Bruce Wayne's parents die in "Batman" movies and TV, there are quite a few different Thomas and Martha Wayne actors out there... even if most of them didn't last long enough to leave an impression!

The most recognizable actors to have played the late Waynes are probably Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan in Zack Snyder's 2016 film "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." (Morgan and Cohan are both well-known for playing Negan and Maggie on "The Walking Dead," respectively, and are currently starring together in the spin-off "Dead City.")

Snyder opens his movie by cutting between the Waynes being shot in an alley and young Bruce (Brandon Spink) running away from their funeral, only to fall into a cave of bats (and his future). Both scenes are fastidiously recreated from Frank Miller's seminal Batman comic, "The Dark Knight Returns."

Morgan first worked with Snyder on 2009's "Watchmen" (as based on the comic, not graphic novel, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons). There, Morgan played Edward Blake aka The Comedian, a sociopathic "superhero" draped in guns and the U.S. flag... who dies in the story's opening scene. Like the Comedian, Thomas Wayne is another character whose death kicks off the story.

Even while making "Watchmen," Snyder wanted to adapt "The Dark Knight Returns," and he's still interested in doing a more faithful adaptation than "Batman v Superman" ended up being. During the "Watchmen" press tour, Snyder even told Morgan that he would "be an awesome Batman."

Now, when Snyder did get to make a movie based on Frank Miller's Batman, he didn't cast Morgan. I get why. (No disrespect at all to Mr. Morgan, but Ben Affleck is definitely the bigger name between the two of them.) Morgan playing Batman's father might seem like only a small consolation. But many Bat-fans suspected that casting Morgan as Thomas Wayne was actually a sign of greater plans — and they were right.

When the DC Extended Universe was still in its early days, the running theory was that Morgan would return as Thomas Wayne in a future movie adapting "Flashpoint." That comic, by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert, shows an alternate timeline where Bruce died in the alley and Thomas became Batman instead. Unlike his son, the "Flashpoint" Batman uses guns and kills criminals. He also has a more imposing costume with red highlight and pointed shoulder pads.

In an interview with Den of Geek (alongside Cohan) to promote "Dead City," Morgan addressed whether that was ever really a possibility. "The idea was, truthfully, Zack was going to do more movies," the actor explained, and he made it sound like the "Flashpoint" Batman would've popped up in one of those. "We never got the chance to do that, unfortunately."

"Batman v Superman" is a lot, but while it has dedicated fans, it wasn't the mass appeal hit that Warner Bros. needed as a franchise foundation.  

Snyder left the DCEU behind during the production of 2017's "Justice League," partially due to the tragic passing of his daughter Autumn. "Avengers" director Joss Whedon oversaw extensive reshoots on the movie, but the Frankenstein-ed "Justice League" that made it into theaters didn't impress. That movie was also a sign of how reactionary and directionless the DCEU had become, moving from vision to vision without finding the right one.

It's no surprise WB eventually chose to reset to square one with James Gunn's new "DC Universe." Snyder got to oversee an extended cut of "Justice League" (literally titled "Zack Snyder's Justice League"), which was released in 2021, but despite positive reviews and a still vocal fanbase, it seems like he's moved on from DC. So passes any chance of Morgan playing "Flashpoint" Batman, most likely.

Now, plans involving big movie franchises like this need to be flexible, and the DCEU was always changing direction. As such, there probably wasn't a locked-in plan on how Morgan's Thomas Wayne/Batman would reappear. But at the minimum, it seems like Snyder was interested in doing something with the character and had personally discussed "Flashpoint" Batman with Morgan.

Morgan absolutely could've pulled off "Flashpoint" Batman (or, heck, even "The Dark Knight Returns" Batman). He's got the right look and can affect the sinister edge that a darker Batman needs. The way he smiles as Negan is the same twisted grin that Frank Miller's Batman often wears. In "Batman v Superman," Thomas actually tries to punch the gunman before he's shot himself. This is a man who probably would become violently out of control if his son was murdered in front of him.

As further proof of Snyder's plans, it's worth recalling that the "Flash" movie was also in development prior to the release of "Batman v Superman." When it finally released in 2023, it was based on "Flashpoint."

In "Flashpoint," Barry Allen/The Flash goes back in time to stop the murder of his mother, Nora. It changes the entire world... for the worse. Deprived of his super-speed, Barry can't run back and undo what was already undone either. Thomas Wayne then becomes Barry's main ally in resetting the timeline, as he's got nothing to live for. (Martha? She had a mental breakdown from Bruce's death and became the "Flashpoint" Joker!) Thomas would much rather erase his own future to save his son's.

The "Flash" movie, too, features Barry (Ezra Miller) teaming up with an alternate Batman. Rather than bring in Morgan as Thomas Wayne/Batman, though, "The Flash" brought back Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne in a (failed nostalgia) gambit. There are similar changes to the "Flashpoint" story made throughout the film.

In both the comic and movie, Superman doesn't exist in the "Flashpoint" timeline. In the comic, Kal-El landed in Metropolis and has spent his life as a prisoner of the U.S. government. In the movie, Kal-El died as an infant and Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (Sasha Calle) is being held in a Russian prison. (The good ol' USA would never detain immigrants, no siree.)

In "Flashpoint," Wonder Woman's Amazons and Aquaman's Atlanteans are waging a war that could destroy human civilization. The movie changes this threat to General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his Kryptonian invaders from Snyder's "Man of Steel." (Hey, "Snow White" has proved that an evil queen is outside Gal Gadot's acting range!)

But should DC fans mourn not getting a more faithful "Flashpoint" movie (excepting the animated movie, "The Flashpoint Paradox")? The comic is what I'd call a manufactured classic: Because it's important, newbie comic fans assume it must also be good. 

In reality, "Flashpoint" is a pretty hollow and cynical story. It was used as a vehicle for DC's "New 52" reboot, which aimed to reset the DC universe to be more friendly to new readers... and to movie adaptations. That's why you had the "New 52" change Wonder Woman into Zeus' daughter, giving her an origin story more palatable for general audiences.

"Flashpoint" is a harbinger of the changes that Geoff Johns would make while spearheading the "New 52." Turning Wonder Woman and Aquaman into genocidal barbarians during "Flashpoint"? It feels symptomatic of his fears about the two of them being perceived as "uncool," hence, he rewrote them as violent warriors when he took over writing "Justice League" after "Flashpoint." 

The story's central message — that it's better to keep things the way they are — is also utterly antithetical to the imagination of superheroes. Johns can imagine a world where a man runs faster than the speed of light, but not one where you use that power to change the world? Frankly, Thomas Wayne as Batman shows a similar lack of creativity. It's a nifty elevator pitch, which is why "Flashpoint" Batman took off with fans and kept returning after "Flashpoint" was long over. But he's basically just the Punisher in a meaner-than-usual batsuit. 

The "New 52" wound up being a mess, mostly because it couldn't commit to being a reboot, and DC had to softly undo it five years later with "DC Rebirth." Like comics, like films. The best thing "Flashpoint" could have done — letting Morgan play Batman — never even happened.