For years, fans have wanted more details about an unmade Batman movie starring Ben Affleck as the Dark Knight and Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke. Manganiello played the lethal assassin in DC’s Justice League, and now, the actor says he was supposed to reprise the role in a standalone Batman film, with Affleck directing, starring, writing, and producing the defunct project.
The Game Meets Gotham City
In his new memoir, Bloodlines, Manganiello describes the endeavor as “a superhero version of David Fincher’s The Game“ in which Deathstroke would “dismantle Batman’s entire life” after being led to believe that the Caped Crusader murdered his son.
Deathstroke’s Revenge: Death, Hostages, and Batgirl
The True Blood and Magic Mike actor goes into even greater detail, saying that Deathstroke’s revenge would include killing Commissioner Gordon (played by J.K. Simmons), taking Alfred Pennyworth (played by Jeremy Irons) hostage, and infiltrating the Batcave. He also claims that the film would have featured an epic fight halfway through, in which “Deathstroke would nearly kill both Batman and Batgirl before they would both escape
An Arkham-Inspired Final Showdown
Finally, Manganiello wrote that the film’s ending would center on a “climactic one-on-one showdown through the streets of Gotham,” with Affleck drawing inspiration from the mega-popular Batman: Arkham Asylum video game. While Manganiello admits he had slight concerns about Affleck “wearing so many hats” for the project, he figured if anyone could pull it off, it was the director behind The Town. “It sounded good to me,” Manganiello writes. “I told Ben how great I thought his films were… and how I was really looking forward to seeing his Best Picture version of a Batman movie.”
Why Ben Affleck Stepped Away from the Dark Knight
Unfortunately, the project fell apart, with Affleck telling Jimmy Kimmel in 2019 that he “couldn’t crack” the project. The following year, Affleck’s personal life became unsteady while he struggled with the effects of alcoholism. In 2020, Affleck told The New York Times that people said the script was good, but worried he would drink himself to death while trying to make it. Ultimately, Affleck chose to work on himself rather than on the film, helping to restore his physical and mental health. A fine choice indeed.
