It goes without saying that whenever new information concerning a movie starring the Dark Knight, in this case, The Batman, hits the web, fans and journalists alike take notice. And what especially gets peoples’ attention is when anything pertaining to villains is to be discussed.
Ever since Joe Manganiello was confirmed to play the first big screen incarnation of Deathstroke last fall, anticipation of Ben Affleck’s solo outing reached a new level. It’s very easy to fall into the trapping of utilizing the likes of the Joker, Two-Face and Catwoman again and again (we doubt anyone is complaining too much), but comic book fans probably remember how elated they were when first learning Ra’s al Ghul and Scarecrow would be appearing in Batman Begins. Likewise, we imagine hearing that Slade Wilson’s coming to a theater near you sparked a similar reaction.
Just last week, Manganiello Tweeted out a picture of his now infamous Deathstroke costume that looked like it had been inserted into a setting from the video game Batman: Arkham Origins. As it turned out, it was merely fan art, but pretty cool nonetheless.
Since then, he’s dropped another Tweet:
Thanks to @jeran_art for this awesome shot of me from the armor screen test.#DEATHSTROKE pic.twitter.com/1lEYLQ6vrc
— JOE MANGANIELLO (@JoeManganiello) January 27, 2017
This time, he credits the artist responsible for the stylish piece when doing a full reveal: “@jeran_art.” Not only that, but he confirmed that the originally released footage of Deathstroke that set social media ablaze months ago was merely from a screen test. Sure, that comes as no surprise, but it could mean that he is, in fact, not appearing in Justice League. However, seeing as how he happened to be in London while the film was shooting, we’re not ready to rule out the possibility of him kicking butt onscreen before The Batman arrives in theaters.