Deathstroke to Get His Own Movie? Joe Manganiello Possibly Playing the 'Batman' Villain

Deathstroke, Batman's deadly nemesis, could be getting his own solo movie. "The Raid: Redemption" director Gareth Evans is in reportedly in early talks for the film, with reports suggesting that Joe Manganiello is being eyed for the role.

If talks come through, Evans will be writing as well as directing the debut lead movie of the assassin Deathstroke, as The Wrap broke the story last Wednesday, Oct. 25. The movie could be considered a spinoff of an upcoming "The Batman" film that Ben Affleck was supposed to be directing.

Even as a separate project, Affleck is still enthused for Deathstroke's first solo outing, and Joe Manganiello's possible lead role. "He's a great villain because — I just had an instinctive feeling that he would match up with him well," he said, referring to the "Magic Mike" star.

"You know, I'm a big admirer of that character as well, especially in the New 52 the way that they did Deathstroke, and I thought that it could work," Affleck added, as quoted by Collider.

Manganiello as Slade Wilson, Deathstroke's real identity, was initially rumored to be debuting in "Justice League," according to Comic Book. When that didn't happen, attention turned to his possible role in "The Batman," before recent issues led to Ben Affleck dropping out of the movie.

Since then, director Matt Reeves has taken over "The Batman," and talks of Deathstroke appearing have died down. As for Manganiello, he has taken on a role in a "Rampage" adaptation.

With this new development, fans are again hyped for a possible big screen solo debut for the mercenary. Evans was first recognized from his cult hit "The Raid: Redemption," a movie based on Indonesian martial arts.

With his background and Manganiello's hulking screen presence, there's plenty to look forward to for Deathstroke fans everywhere. In the meantime, "Justice League" is launching on without the assassin on Nov. 17.