There are plenty of “what ifs” when it comes to the superhero genre, and several of those pertain to the DC Extended Universe, which was greatly shepherded by Zack Snyder. Over the years, Snyder and some of his collaborators have discussed the plans he was dreaming up for the DCEU, and a common claim is that Jeffrey Dean Morgan would’ve played Flashpoint Batman. Morgan himself has touched on that here and there, but just how serious was Snyder about all that? Well, the actor has provided some clarity on that front. Morgan played Thomas Wayne – the father of Bruce Wayne – in Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where the character was killed alongside his wife, Martha. Those who’ve read the comic likely know that the “Flashpoint” story arc of the comics features a universe in which young Bruce Wayne dies, and Thomas and Martha become that world’s versions of the Dark Knight and Joker, respectively. As of this writing, that story has yet to be depicted on the big screen, unfortunately. (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)During a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast (part of which was shared to Instagram), Morgan was quizzed in regard to just how serious Snyder was about having him don the cape and cowl. The Walking Dead icon confirmed that the prospect of him playing that version of the Caped Crusader actually came up quite early: I remember when he called me to do [Thomas Wayne in BVS], I was like, ‘You know, it’s really nothing.’ And he’s like, 'I got bigger plans.’ And I was like, ‘Well, Zack, what does that mean, man?’ He’s like, ‘Can you just trust me?’ And I’m like, ‘Of course. And I’m gonna do it even without this incentive of ‘there’s more.’Zack Snyder was seemingly quite serious about having Morgan (who also worked with him on Watchmen) play the role, and it’s interesting that he used that as an enticing factor when courting the actor for the BvS part. That apparently wasn’t the only time that the “Flashpoint” variation of Batman came up between Morgan and Snyder, as the former recalled:I remember, we started talking about Batman, him and I together on the press tour for Watchmen. And he was like, ‘I would love to see you play Batman.’ And I was like, ‘Bro… Stop, I’m gonna have a fucking heart attack right now.’ I think, at one point, he just looked over and said, ‘Flashpoint.’ And I was like, ‘Fuck. Goddamn it.’ I almost, like, don’t want to hear it.More on Batman‘None Of Those Things Are What’s Most Important To Me.’ As A Batman Fan, I Love James Gunn’s Take On How He’s Handling The Character’s DCU FilmOf course, all hope of Jeffrey Dean Morgan playing Batman was seemingly extinguished when Snyder’s ties with the DCEU were severed. The character also wasn’t included in 2023's The Flash, as director Andy Muschietti explained that he wasn’t aiming to completely adapt “Flashpoint” with his film. Alas, it now feels like Morgan will never play Gotham’s defender (barring any kind of multiversal surprise in James Gunn’s DCU).It’s still fun to think about what that would’ve looked like, though. I obviously can’t speak to exactly what Snyder may or may not have been planning, but I think Morgan would make a solid Batman. He certainly has the screen presence as well as a firm level of physicality that he could bring to the part. At this point, it may just be reasonable to let this dream casting remain in the darkest corners of the Batcave. Still, I’d love to see Morgan land a DCU role of some kind.Check out Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice by streaming it with an HBO Max subscription. That membership also grants access to a lot more DC content.