Joe Manganiello has revealed new details about the Affleck Batman Deathstroke plot from the long-scrapped solo film Ben Affleck once planned to write, direct and star in, including a storyline that would have ended with the murder of Commissioner Gordon. Manganiello, who was cast as Deathstroke in the project, shared the details in his memoir “Bloodlines,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
Affleck backed away from the film for personal reasons, and it never advanced into full production, according to Polygon. The project was later reworked into Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” which starred Robert Pattinson and arrived in 2022.
What Manganiello Revealed About The Script
Manganiello described the planned movie as a superhero version of David Fincher’s “The Game,” writing in “Bloodlines” that it would follow Deathstroke seeking revenge after the death of his son, Jericho, according to IGN and Polygon. The plan called for Deathstroke to dismantle Batman’s entire life rather than confront him directly.
That campaign would have included kidnapping Alfred and murdering Commissioner Gordon, played by J.K. Simmons, according to Polygon and /Film. Barbara Gordon, who would have appeared as Batgirl, would have had her own motivation to take down her father’s killer, per /Film.
A mid-movie set piece would have put Batman and Batgirl through a fight that nearly killed both of them before they escaped aboard an above-ground train, according to IGN and Polygon. The film was then set to climax with a brutal, one-on-one street fight between Batman and Deathstroke through Gotham, a sequence IGN reported was inspired by a CGI fight from the “Batman: Arkham Asylum” video game and by a snowy shipyard confrontation between Batman and Deathstroke shown in the first trailer for “Batman: Arkham Origins.”
What It Means For Fans
Manganiello’s account gives fans the most detailed look yet at a project that was teased on screen but never fully explained. Deathstroke first appeared in a “Justice League” end-credits scene, and “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” showed Lex Luthor handing Batman’s secret identity to Slade Wilson, setting up the confrontation Affleck’s film was meant to deliver, according to IGN.
These are details from Manganiello’s own recollection of the project as it was pitched to him, not confirmation that a finished shooting script existed. He wrote that the premise “sounded good” to him and praised Affleck’s earlier work, particularly “The Town,” saying he was looking forward to seeing Affleck’s “Best Picture version of a Batman movie,” according to IGN.
Manganiello also recalled raising concerns with Affleck about the actor taking on writing, directing, producing and starring duties on a big-budget DC film at once. Affleck’s response, per IGN: “Yeah, I know…But don’t worry, you’re in good hands. You’re in good hands, man.”
Background And Context
Affleck was still attached to direct and star in the Batman solo film when the plans described by Manganiello were in place. J.K. Simmons had signed on to play Commissioner Gordon, a role he first took on in Zack Snyder’s DC films. When Affleck stepped away, Warner Bros. eventually moved forward with a different take on the character, handing the role to Pattinson under Reeves’ direction.
What’s Next
No studio has commented on reviving the Affleck version of the story, and the film remains scrapped. Manganiello’s memoir “Bloodlines” is now the primary source detailing what the project was meant to include before it was abandoned.
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