A few weeks ago the solo Batman adventure reached The Flash levels of turmoil. The film underwent a massive creative shift when Matt Reeves signed on to replace Ben Affleck as the director, and now the whole plan seems to be making a huge left turn. We're incredibly excited about where Reeves will take this project, but this change has raised some large questions about whether or not Joe Manganiello is still attached to the movie as Deathstroke. Manganiello recently spoke out about the changes, and he seemed unwilling to comment either way.
During a recent appearance on Pittsburgh Today Live, Joe Manganiello admitted that his involvement in the solo Batman movie has become somewhat less definitive now that Matt Reeves has taken over the project. When asked about The Dark Knight's latest adventure, the True Blood star provided a less than encouraging "maybe" as his answer. Movie stars are known for playing coy about details related to their films (particular big budget superhero blockbusters), but Manganiello's current stance on the issue is a significant downgrade from his definite involvement in the project last year.
Of course, just because Joe Manganiello might not play Deathstroke in the solo Batman movie doesn't mean he's not still attached to the DCEU as The Terminator. Rumors associated with Justice League have suggested that the legendary mercenary has a small part in the DC team-up film, so it remains entirely possible that Manganiello is still Deathstroke -- he's just not the main villain of the Batman movie anymore. This is pretty much a perfect casting choice, so we're keeping our fingers firmly crossed that DC and WB don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
That raises some distinct questions about where Joe Manganiello could potentially end up if he's no longer involved in the Ben Affleck-fronted Batman movie. Deathstroke is an incredibly malleable character, so there's a wide variety of situations and stories that he could neatly fit into. That said, with a Nightwing movie on the way, this seems like a perfect time to introduce the Teen Titans into the DCEU and give them a formidable opponent. Deathstroke is arguably the most iconic Teen Titans villain of all time, so introducing him as the central antagonist against that team of teenage heroes could work in DC's favor.
Check out the following video to see Joe Manganiello's comments about the upcoming Batman film:
We're going to have to wait and see how this situation pans out. Matt Reeves' Batman movie is currently undergoing a major overhaul, so it's anyone's guess as to whether or not Joe Manganiello will remain onboard. The Batman movie doesn't currently have a set release date, but make sure to check out our 2017 movie premiere guide for more information related to this year's most highly anticipated theatrical debuts!
