It must have been a frustrating few months for the cast of The Batman. They all expected to be shooting the movie by now but someone who has to be feeling particularly annoyed is Joe Manganiello. The actor was revealed as Deathstroke some time ago when Ben Affleck - who was then still directing the movie - shared a camera test featuring the fan-favourite villain looking menacing.
Since then, Affleck has decided against taking the helm of the Caped Crusader's solo outing and Matt Reeves is completely rewriting his and Geoff Johns' screenplay, something that's left Deathstroke's big screen future very much up in the air. Understandably, Joe Manganiello isn't best pleased about that.
I think a lot of people are wondering what the status of Deathstroke is in the next Batman movie now that Ben Affleck is off the project as director. Do you have any information about that?
I don’t. Well, I do but nothing that I can share. I know everything but I can’t say any of it.
Was that imparted in a happy way or a downtrodden way? I’m trying to interpret the fluctuations in your tone.
[Pause.] I’m shooting for a neutral tone.
You’re succeeding.
Thanks.
Any idea when we’ll find out?
It’s not up to me. That’s a good question for Warner Bros. and D.C.
It's clear to see that he's annoyed about what's happening and knows more than we do. It's possible Warner Bros. has told the actor to expect a reduced role in The Batman as Reeves may want to focus on an entirely different big bad. That alone must have left him feeling down after he signed on to play the lead villain in a movie directed by Affleck and it's clear he's unhappy about where things stand.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as if he'll be shedding any further light on what's going on as he's been forbidden from saying much but it's clear that we probably shouldn't count on seeing Deathstroke!
About The Author:
Comic Book Reader. Film Lover. WWE and F1 Fan. Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and ComicBookMovie.com's #1 contributor.