When cameras were rolling on Justice League (before Joss Whedon took over from Zack Snyder), Ben Affleck shared some surprise test footage of Deathstroke on social media.
Announcing that he would write and direct The Batman, Affleck tapped Spider-Man star Joe Manganiello to play Slade Wilson, and fans began getting excited about what looked set to be an epic clash.
We know that Justice League originally ended with Lex Luthor—seeking vengeance after being locked in Arkham Asylum—telling Deathstroke that Bruce Wayne was Batman. That set the stage for The Batman movie, though Whedon's reshoots ditched the idea and teased the formation of the Injustice League instead.
In his new book, Bloodlines, Manganiello finally reveals a detailed breakdown of what Affleck's version of The Batman looked like. As a reminder, the actor and filmmaker walked away from the movie due to personal issues and becoming disillusioned with the role after Justice League's reshoots.
According to the site, Manganiello describes a movie that Affleck viewed as "a superhero version of David Fincher's The Game," with Deathstroke out to "dismantle Batman’s entire life." Why? Well, he'd have been led to believe that the Dark Knight had killed his son.
Deathstroke's revenge included murdering J.K. Simmons' Commissioner Gordon and taking Alfred Pennyworth hostage after breaking into the Batcave. Manganiello also reveals plans for a mid-movie battle in which "Deathstroke would nearly kill both Batman and Batgirl before they would both escape via an aboveground train."
It seems Gordon's death would have spurred Barbara Gordon into action as Batgirl, marking a major DCEU debut. Later, the actor describes a conclusion that featured a "climactic one-on-one showdown through the streets of Gotham." Affleck was supposedly taking inspiration from Batman: Arkham Asylum for what sounded like a brutal, bloody clash.
Manganiello later recalled, "It sounded good to me. I told Ben how great I thought his films were, especially The Town, and how I was really looking forward to seeing his Best Picture version of a Batman movie."
As for Affleck's decision to write, direct, produce and star in The Batman, he says, "Is there another comp of this size where one person has worn all those hats? What, Mel [Gibson] with Braveheart maybe? And that wasn’t close to this big." To that, Affleck responded, "Yeah, I know…But don’t worry, you’re in good hands. You’re in good hands, man."
When Affleck walked away from The Batman, Warner Bros. turned to Matt Reeves to direct. For a time, it looked like Affleck would star in that version, though the movie would eventually become an Elseworlds story revolving around Robert Pattinson's Batman in "Year Two" of his crimefighting career.