Appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" last night, actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan was asked about his potential role in the "Flashpoint" movie announced earlier this year by Warner Bros. and DC Films. As with most actors and actresses involved in superhero films these days, Morgan was not definitive in his answer but still gave enough of a reaction to fuel speculation he could portray the Thomas Wayne version of Batman from the comics.
He previously portrayed the father of Bruce Wayne, played by Ben Affleck, in 2016's "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice."
"Flashpoint" comic series offers a parallel universe for DC Comics
If you're unfamiliar with the "Flashpoint" storyline, the series was written by Geoff Johns in 2011 who has since taken over as head of DC Films. The story centers on The Flash who finds himself in an alternate timeline where everything has changed. In addition to a war between Amazons and Atlanteans, Bruce Wayne is killed as a child, spurring his father Thomas to become Batman while his mother Martha is driven insane and becomes the Joker.
Martha Wayne was portrayed by Morgan's "The Walking Dead" co-star Lauren Cohan, who would likely take on the role in the shared cinematic universe.
The film version will also feature Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman
The "Flashpoint" film is scheduled for a 2020 release and has yet to confirm a director for the script written by Joby Harold. The film comes after a series of scrapped versions for a Flash film for actor Ezra Miller. It seems as though DC wants to move away from a straight origin film and instead use the popular comic series that allows for more characters to be involved. The Flash's history will likely be addressed in November's "Justice League," giving Miller more freedom in "Flashpoint." Gal Gadot has already been confirmed for the film and the storyline suggests we'll also get appearances by Jason Momoa's Aquaman and Amber Heard's Mera.
Ray Fisher, who will play Cyborg, has also been announced for "Flashpoint" after early rumors suggested a Flash/Cyborg team-up was in the works.
What does the film mean for the future of the DC cinematic universe?
With the announcement of "Flashpoint" came speculation that the film would act as a hard reset for DC Films after the underwhelming response to movies like "Batman v. Superman" and "Suicide Squad." Things were only made worse when rumors circulated that Ben Affleck wanted out of his role as Batman despite the positive reviews he received from fans. Affleck has since confirmed he's still on board and is preparing for a solo film directed by Matt Reeves. It seems unlikely that DC would go ahead with the storyline just to address Affleck's departure and instead the film will provide an expanded roster of heroes and villains to interact. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has found success as more and more characters have popped up in each other's films and it looks like DC and Warner Bros. are eager to do the same.