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Joe Manganiello Thinks Fans Will Root For Deathstroke In The Batman

While Ben Affleck has made it clear that he doesn't like talking about the upcoming Batman solo movie, Deathstroke actor Joe Manganiello is more than happy to open up.

He recently spoke about his role in the flick to RI Magazine (via ScreenRant), and although the production timeline is still murky, Manganiello already has some thoughts about how fans will react to seeing the DC villain on the big screen.

"My character [is] an exciting one, and has the capacity I think, to be a great villain," he said. "And what all the great ones can do is polarize an audience. When I was a kid I always rooted for the villain. As a kid, I think I would have rooted for him and I think fans will."

It won't be Manganiello's first foray into superhero movies. He previously played Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man series. But this will be his first starring role as an iconic comic book character. "There were a lot of superhero and super-villain roles that came my way, and my gut said those were not the right fit for me," he revealed. "This one was perfect. This was exactly what I was looking for."

Deathstroke first debuted in a 1980 issue of DC's New Teen Titans. An assassin and a mercenary, IGN ranked him the 32nd greatest comic book villain of all time.

Of course, things are a little hectic during pre-production for The Batman (that's just a working title). Affleck recently stepped down as director, and Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) took his place. However, Manganiello believes rumors of behind-the-scenes turmoil are overblown. He said the creative process "needs to be respected" and that the production delays are just the result of wanting to make an "unbelievable" and "legendary" movie.

Back when Affleck was still set to direct the movie, he shared test footage of Deathstroke (presumably with Manganiello behind the mask). Check that out below. Meanwhile, take a look at the untold truth of Deathstroke.