Joe Manganiello has revealed new plot details about Ben Affleck’s unmade Batman movie, in which he was set to reprise his role as Deathstroke. Affleck planned to write, direct, produce, and star in the film, with Deathstroke serving as the main villain. Manganiello described the movie’s concept as “a superhero version of David Fincher’s The Game.”
In his new book (via EW), Bloodlines: A Memoir, Manganiello finally reveals a detailed breakdown of what Affleck’s version of The Batman would have looked like. The story would have followed Deathstroke’s quest for revenge after he was led to believe that Batman had murdered his son.
As part of his revenge plot, Deathstroke would kill Commissioner Gordon (J.K. Simmons), take Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons) hostage, and infiltrate the Batcave. According to Manganiello, the film would also feature a major mid-movie showdown in which Deathstroke nearly kills Batman and Batgirl before the two escape aboard an aboveground train.
While Batgirl never appeared in Affleck’s DC universe, Leslie Grace portrayed the character in a standalone film that Warner Bros. ultimately shelved as a tax write-off. Manganiello did not reveal who would have played Batgirl in Affleck’s Batman movie.
Manganiello says Affleck’s scrapped Batman movie would have ended with a “climactic one-on-one showdown,” between Batman and Deathstroke on the streets of Gotham. Affleck planned to draw inspiration from a CGI fight sequence in the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum, which was helmed by Tim Miller.
Back in 2022, concept artist Keith Christensen revealed the costume design for Joe Manganiello’s Slade Wilson/Deathstroke in the unmade Batman movie.
Manganiello said, “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.”
Manganiello was surprised that Affleck planned to write, direct, produce, and star in The Batman. He wondered whether any other filmmaker had handled all those roles in a movie of that scale, comparing it to Mel Gibson’s Braveheart. Affleck reassured him, saying, “Yeah, I know… But don’t worry, you’re in good hands. You’re in good hands, man.”
Following Deathstroke’s planned appearance in The Batman, the character was also considered as the villain in Aquaman 2 and a Suicide Squad sequel that would have seen him face off against Will Smith’s Deadshot. A standalone Deathstroke movie was also discussed.
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