"The Batman" villain Joe Manganiello has praised his co-star Ben Affleck and talked about his own spin on Deathstroke. Affleck who plays the titular role has since removed himself to helm the film.
In an interview with The RI Magazine via Chefirvine, he praised Affleck's directing skills and said that he is great as the new Bruce Wayne. Speaking about Deathstroke, he said despite being a villain, the character is someone that the fans would probably find themselves rooting for.
"This is my character, an exciting one, and has the capacity I think, to be a great villain. 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," he said.
Manganiello also said that he is excited for the future DCEU films in general after meeting Zach Snyder, Jon Berg and Geoff Johns. The three are considered to be cornerstones of the DCEU.
For the uninitiated, Deathstroke is a mercenary and assassin who first appeared in DC comics. Originally the archenemy of Teen Titans, the character was developed as one of the most popular comic book villains of all time.
In preparation "The Batman" role, Manganiello has said that he went on a katana training with tailored workouts specifically for the character. He also went to learn kung fu and chi during the process.
Warner Bros. announced that "War for the Planet of the Apes" director Matt Reeves will helm the film after Affleck stepped down. However, there are reports online that the deal has been canceled, IGN reported.
The movie will reportedly start shooting this spring and has already gone through multiple writers. This has not been confirmed by Manganiello but the actor did say that production will begin soon. For more information about the character dynamics between Bruce Wayne and Deathstroke, watch the clip below:
