At the start of this year, Robert Pattinson was the one and only actor set to play Batman in a live-action movie, but based on the whirlwind of recent developments surrounding the DCEU, we could realistically end up with five by the time 2020 is over.
Following the huge announcement that the Snyder Cut of Justice League was finally becoming a reality, Ben Affleck has been heavily rumored to mount a full-scale comeback as the Dark Knight, which recent photos of the star back in superhero shape have done nothing to dispel. Michael Keaton is also returning to play Bruce Wayne in The Flash, which fans are hoping will eventually lead to the long-awaited Batman Beyond adaptation, meaning that whoever ends up getting cast as Terry McGinnis will suit up as yet another version of the Dark Knight.
If that wasn’t enough, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has also been linked with reprising his Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice cameo role as Thomas Wayne in the Scarlet Speedster’s upcoming solo debut, which would see him play the Flashpoint version of the costumed crime-fighter. In fact, in a recent interview, The Walking Dead star was asked about his chances of returning to the DCEU, and his response was far from a denial, saying:
“Michael Keaton swooped in and took my gig. No, I think that’s super cool. Ever since Zack Snyder walked away, my whole kind of bit in that world has walked away with him. However, there’s always a chat going on. So, we’ll see.”
Morgan seems to hint that Zack Snyder had much bigger plans for him than his throwaway cameo in Batman V Superman, but with the filmmaker also strongly rumored to be sticking around the DCEU should the Snyder Cut turn out to be the success that everyone’s expecting it to be, we could end up with multiple Batmen existing in the franchise’s freshly-minted multiverse without even having to run the risk of stepping on each other’s toes.