The Raid’s Gareth Evans Circling Deathstroke Spinoff At Warner Bros.

Well, this would certainly go some ways to explaining Joe Manganiello’s radio silence about The Batman.

The Wrap brings word today that Gareth Evans (The Raid) has entered talks to helm a Deathstroke movie featuring Manganiello in the title role. It’s said to be in the formative stages of development, so it’s unclear as yet whether it’ll be intricately connected to the DC Extended Universe or, in the vein of Warner’s Joker origin story, a standalone project.

What we do know, however, is that Warner has big, big plans for Slade Wilson. Even if Joe Manganiello’s hardboiled assassin winds up being cut from The Batman, this spinoff project could be just what the doctor ordered, as it’ll pave the way for a full-fledged feature anchored by one of Bruce Wayne’s most iconic villains.

Neither Manganiello nor Evans have signed on just yet, so there’s still some work to do before Warner’s nascent Deathstroke movie can take flight.

First introduced via New Teen Titans almost 40 years ago, Slade Wilson’s masked alter-ego has cemented his place as a cornerstone of DC’s famous rogues’ gallery, and was later angled as the Caped Crusader’s lethal, gun-toting doppelgänger in the video game spinoff, Batman: Arkham Origins.

In that time, Deathstroke has become one of DC’s more memorable villains, and the rich history surrounding Slade Wilson ought to give Gareth Evans and Joe Manganiello plenty of content to chew on – you know, providing they each put pen to paper.

Beyond the world of masked vigilantes and costumed crusaders, Evans is currently putting the final touches to Apostle, a Netflix period thriller headed up by Dan Stevens. Meanwhile, Joe Manganiello was originally cast to play Deathstroke in The Batman prior to the appointment of Matt Reeves, though it’s unclear if he’ll still be involved once the cameras begin rolling next summer.