If you haven’t seen JUSTICE LEAGUE in theaters, yes Ben Affleck is still Batman, but that may not last for long. The rumor mill is turning out dozens of articles and rumors about Ben Affleck dropping out of the DCEU. The news doesn’t look good for the DCEU or fans who enjoy basic continuity, but there’s still hope.

Not everyone was high on Ben Affleck in the DCEU as Batman, Ben being one of those people. However, Warner Bros. has a chance to make their own flashpoint and recast Batman/Bruce Wayne and replace Ben with someone who’ll appreciate the role.

…Or at least someone who won’t complain about having one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood. Now let’s begin the endless speculation about the best actors who can replace Ben Affleck if he bails on the DCEU.

1. Jeffrey Dean Morgan Can Make a Thomas Wayne Comeback

If the DCEU needs to replace Ben Affleck soon, their replacement is right underneath their noses. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who played Thomas Wayne in BATMAN V. SUPERMAN, is the guy for the job. He’s already in the DCEU and replacing Affleck as Batman wouldn’t require the same amount of movie magic as swapping him out with a brand new actor. It’s as simple as using a The Flash’s upcoming movie FLASHPOINT to create Thomas Wayne’s alternate storyline from the comics.

Now, here is the case for Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the next Batman. Jeffrey Dean Morgan can be a great Batman off of intensity alone. If you’ve seen him in WATCHMEN as The Comedian or as Negan in THE WALKING DEAD then you know he can bring it. He’s methodical like the current Batman and ruthless like Thomas Wayne’s alternate timeline version of Batman. Jeffrey Dean Morgan fills those intense, charismatic roles well.

Where his candidacy falls short is if Warner Bros. decides to keep Bruce Wayne’s Batman. Jeffrey Dean Morgan playing Bruce Wayne is an entirely different story from Jeffrey Dean Morgan playing Thomas Wayne. The Bruce Wayne character required a lot more subtlety and layered acting. It’s like the actor is playing a character who’s playing another character trying not to be Batman. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a good actor, but he hasn’t played too many characters as complicated as Batman and Bruce Wayne.

2. Armie Hammer Fits The Build

Armie Hammer would bring a lot of the same qualities as Christian Bale if he were to replace Ben Affleck as Batman. He might be even better suited for the role considering his size, clean-cut look, and natural build. Armie’s six feet, five inches tall and he looks ripped right out of the comic book pages as a superhero. Physical imagery aside, Armie comes with an underrated acting resume as well.

He is excellent in THE SOCIAL NETWORK, J. EDGAR, and NOCTURNAL ANIMALS if you’re looking a suave Bruce Wayne performance. Armie’s action sets in THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. and THE LONE RANGER hold up enough to be great too.

However, Armie’s best role came in THE BIRTH OF A NATION as he played a very dark character in Samuel Turner, the slave owner. His performance as Samuel Turner was a grim portrayal of evil and he became a character that is easily loathsome. Playing Samuel Turner in THE BIRTH OF A NATION all but proves that Armie Hammer’s got range too.

Armie Hammer has all of the qualities to play a younger Batman, but there are just a few problems he runs into replacing Ben Affleck. For starters, Armie Hammer can play a younger Batman, but the Batman in the DCEU is already middle-aged. Also compared to the other actors on this list Armie is a rising star in Hollywood. He would be competing against established A-listers with more name recognition for one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood, Batman. May the odds be in his favor.

3. Colin Farrell’s Pretty Solid

Ten years ago I AM LEGEND came out, and it had a huge easter egg for BATMAN V. SUPERMAN. Back then Brandon Routh was playing Superman, and you guessed it, Colin Farrell was on the short list to play Batman. Ten years later Warner Bros. might as well add his name to the shortlist again if they need to replace Ben Affleck.

Colin Farrell has the most extended resume on this list, and he’s the most seasoned actor to play Bruce Wayne and Batman. He’s been in blockbuster films and some of the best indie films you haven’t seen yet. Colin Farrell is as versatile as an actor you can get, and he’s perfect to play the Dark Knight.

Take some of his work like his role in FANTASTIC BEASTS. He was great in a big budget film as a dark character pretending to be someone else, sound familiar? Okay, it’s not exactly Batman, but it was a pretty solid performance with an actor with a reasonable track record.

4. Jon Hamm’s Perfect, But He Kind of Passed

In a perfect world, Jon Hamm is already playing Batman, and we’re not even speculating about Ben Affleck’s replacement. Jon Hamm has all of the attributes to replace Ben. He’s around the same age, he fits the physical build, and he’s an award-winning actor. Not to mention Jon Hamm’s played two roles that should give fans confidence about him becoming the Dark Knight.

If you’ve ever seen MAD MEN, then you know Jon Hamm was born to play Bruce Wayne. In MAD MEN, a role he won an Emmy for, Jon plays a character a lot like Bruce Wayne. Don Draper is charming, wealthy, secretive, confident, and a bit of a womanizer. So much of Don Draper’s character work is due to Jon Hamm’s acting ability and command of each scene.

The second role that makes Jon Hamm a convincing candidate to replace Ben Affleck is his role in BABY DRIVER. Without spoiling the plot, Jon Hamm’s role as Buddy is straight up menacing and intense. His intensity in his action set in BABY DRIVER was compelling and fun watch. The scenes were so much like Batman’s epic car scenes in the DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY it was eerie. Jon Hamm can easily become both Bruce and Batman in the DCEU, but that’s just a pipe dream. In a radio interview, Jon Hamm said he’s too old to be committed to a superhero role, and he wants to be free to do other things.

5. Jake Gyllenhaal Is Odd’s On Favorite to Replace Ben Affleck

The guy who lost out on playing both Spider-Man and Batman in the early 2000s might finally get his chance to play a superhero. Jake is already Matt Reeves’, the next director to film Batman’s ideal replacement to fill the role as the Dark Knight if Ben Affleck bails. He’s one of the few A-list actors who have yet to play a superhero on the big screen. His acting abilities earned him an Oscar nomination and countless awards. Jake’s also known to be one of the most committed actors in Hollywood.

What makes Jake Gyllenhaal qualified for this role specifically? Jake fits the muscular build needed for Batman. If you’ve ever seen him in JARHEAD, PRINCE OF PERSIA, or SOUTHPAW he got ripped for those movies. Not only does he fit the build for Batman, but his stunt work as an actor has been amazing. Just check the fight scenes in END OF WATCH or the boxing scenes in SOUTHPAW. His work in those scenes should translate into Batman’s action sets.

Where Jake Gyllenhaal makes it interesting is the Bruce Wayne side of the Batman character. In just about every rendition of Bruce Wayne in Batman films, he is as suave and charming as he is dark. Sure, Jake played a dark character in NIGHTCRAWLER, but that performance seems closer to The Joker than Batman.

It’s not that Jake Gyllenhaal can’t play both sides of the character, he can, we’re saying his take on the Dark Knight will be highly anticipated. If Affleck bails, swapping him out with Gyllenhaal will be drastic. It’s going to require an enormous amount of movie magic and leaps of logic to do so, but if he’s replaced with Jake, Batman’s in good hands.