Chris Luckett

Last week, Ben Affleck caused online freak-outs of comic fan excitement when he revealed footage of famed DC villain Deathstroke in Affleck’s upcoming Batman picture.

The Wall Street Journal has now revealed Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike, Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday) is the face behind the mask and will play the superhuman assassin.

DC Entertainment president and chief creative officer Geoff Johns confirmed the casting.

Little is known yet about the as-yet-untitled picture, except that it will follow after next year’s Justice League movie and that Affleck will be producing, directing, and writing the picture (along with Johns), as well as starring in it. Affleck has played the role twice already, in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.

The nature and capacity of Deathstroke’s role has yet to be revealed, but the character has proven a notorious villain among DC characters in the past, including the Teen Titans, Nightwing, and Batman himself.

This will mark the second time Manganiello has tangled with a cinematic superhero; he also bullied Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker in 2002’s Spider-Man.

Ben Affleck’s untitled Batman movie is expected to arrive between 2018 and 2020.

(Source: The Wall Street Journal)