The original Flashpoint comic book storyline is only six years old, but it's already been adapted twice. The animated movie Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox was a reasonably straightforward adaptation, while The Flash TV series only loosely used that story's elements in its Season 3 premiere. It was announced at this past San Diego Comic-Con that Flashpoint will next be tackled as a theatrical movie, but we haven't learned yet how faithful this new version will be to its comic book predecessor. However, according to DC president and Flashpoint comics writer Geoff Johns, Batman will remain an important part in the movie. While talking about how Flashpoint will explore new ground, Johns said:
There's elements in it that we're going to be playing into that we couldn't do anywhere else. The scale of it, the Batman story of it all.
This is our second indicator that the Flashpoint movie will be a more faithful adaptation of the original story. A few months back, it was reported that Gal Gadot will reprise Wonder Woman for Flashpoint, and if that's true, that also bodes well for seeing Jason Momoa reprise Aquaman, as Diana of Themyscira and Arthur Curry are at war with one another. Now with Geoff Johns telling EW that Batman will factor into the movie, it would seem that rather than take major creative liberties, this Flashpoint will stick closer to the source material, though like with most superhero movies, you can expect that there will be some key differences. Of course, those who've read Flashpoint know that in the story, it's not Bruce Wayne wearing the cape and cowl.
Warning: SPOILERS for the original Flashpoint are ahead!
In the alternate Flashpoint timeline, Bruce Wayne was the one killed by Joe Chill in Crime Alley instead of his parents. Thomas and Martha Wayne channeled their grief differently, with Thomas unleashing his rage as Batman and Martha being driven to insanity, subsequently becoming The Joker. When Barry Allen awoke in this strange world and realized he didn't have his speed, he immediately sought out Batman for help, only to learn that it was his old friend's father who was serving as Gotham City's vigilante. Their first meeting didn't get off to a good start, but once he learned about how Bruce was alive in the main DC timeline, Thomas aided Flash in attempting to set thing back to normal. The Flashpoint Batman recently returned in The Button storyline, and in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, he was voiced by C. Thomas Howell.
We've already seen Jeffrey Dean Morgan's iteration of Thomas Wayne in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, so assuming that the Flashpoint movie does have Thomas Wayne serving as Batman in that altered timeline, then no doubt The Walking Dead actor would reprise the role. That said, it would also be great if Bruce Wayne (be it Ben Affleck in the role or someone else) appeared so we could get a moment that echoes when Flash returned to the normal timeline and gave Bruce the letter Thomas wrote him.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on how Flashpoint is coming along, and broke through our DC movies guide to see what other projects this franchise has in development.
