Ever since Ben Affleck shared that awesome video of Deathstroke on Twitter, speculation went rampant about who’s hiding behind the suit. Turns out fans who guessed Joe Manganiello were spot on. Geoff Johns confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that Manganiello (Magic Mike) will portray Slade Wilson in Affleck’s upcoming solo Batman film. It’s still unclear whether or not we’ll see him in Justice League , though I anticipate at least a small cameo.
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) August 29, 2016
Justice League is currently filming in London, and it wasn’t a coincidence fanboys spotted Manganiello there as well. Trolls quickly investigated, only to find the actor just recently followed Justice League director Zack Snyder on Twitter. Jared Leto’s Joker is rumored to be absent from the new Batman movie, with Deathstroke taking his place as The Bat’s main adversary.
Manganiello is no stranger to comic book movies. He portrayed Flash Thompson in Spider-Man almost two decades ago. He also has the perfect Deathstroke look: charmingly intimidating. Let’s hope Manganiello’s performance will rival Manu Bennett’s version of Deathstroke on Arrow.
The new Batman movie won’t be in theaters until sometime in 2018. Justice League is expected Nov. 16, 2017.
