Joe Manganiello will be taking on the role of Slade Wilson, a.k.a. Deathstroke, in the upcoming solo Batman film starring and directed by Ben Affleck.
On August 29, 2016, Affleck tweeted a video of the character’s costume with no additional information around it. The quick video simply showcases Deathstroke's new metalic suit (Ironman much?) with silver, black and orange colored body armor.
https://t.co/0NsNzCtGip
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) August">https://twitter.com/BenAffleck/status/770259217940... 29, 2016
Later, Manganiello’s role of Deathstroke in the untitled film was confirmed by DC Entertainment president and chief creative officer Geoff Johns, as originally reported in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Manganiello went to Twitter to reinforce this confirmation.
It's on...https://t.co/tB0gjRf6pc
— Joe Manganiello (@JoeManganiello) September">https://twitter.com/JoeManganiello/status/77395519... 8, 2016
No official release date has been announced for Affleck's solo Batman film, but it is rumored to hit theaters sometime in 2018.
Manganiello is known for his roles in the “Magic Mike” series, “True Blood,” and “How I Met Your Mother.” He also has a bit of superhero film experience from his role as Flash Thompsonin Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man 3."
Deathstroke has made previous onscreen appearances in "Arrow" played by Manu Bennett, "Sons of Batman" voiced by Thomas Gibson, and "Teen Titans" (although just known as "Slade") voiced by Ron Perlman.
Deathstroke, originally introduced in "The New Teen Titans" No. 2 in 1980, is known as an incredibly skilled assassin and martial artist. He is highly intelligent and makes use of his formidable strength and speed. He sports a dual-colored mask and an artillery of guns, knives, and swords.
It is interesting to note, as "The Hollywood Reporter" mentions, that both Batman and Deathstroke do not historically share many moments together in their various forms of media texts. If Deathstroke is later confirmed to be the main antagonist of the film, the decision will definitely shake things up in the world of Batman.
Notably, however, Manganiello’s character, Deathstroke, shouldn’t be confused with other similarly named super villains including Deadpool, Deadshot, and Deathlok. DC Comics claims Deathstroke and Deadshot, while Marvel claims Deadpool and Deathlok.
It could be possible that DC's choice in Deathstroke as the Dark Knight's upcoming opponent is a response to Marvel's huge success with "Deadpool" starring Ryan Reynolds.
Are superhero fans in store for another sassy and sexy masked superhuman?
Regardless, here is a well-explained video that clarifies the differences between these "death" and "dead" named characters.
