The dark vision we never got
If you’ve ever wondered what could have been, Joe Manganiello is officially spilling the tea. In his brand-new memoir Bloodlines, the actor shared the wild plot details for Ben Affleck’s scrapped Batman movie, and honestly? It’s giving high-stakes psychological thriller. Manganiello, who was tapped to play the villain Deathstroke, revealed that the film was intended to be a "superhero version of David Fincher’s The Game."
Deathstroke’s revenge arc
The plot was dark, and the vibes were definitely off—in the best way possible. Deathstroke was supposed to be fully convinced that Batman killed his son, leading him to embark on a campaign to "dismantle Batman’s entire life." This wasn't just a basic villain plot; we’re talking about Deathstroke murdering Commissioner Gordon, taking Alfred Pennyworth hostage, and even breaking into the Batcave. Manganiello noted that the film would have featured a brutal fight where he almost took out both Batman and Batgirl, who were forced to flee via an aboveground train. The whole thing was supposed to culminate in a massive, one-on-one showdown in the streets of Gotham.
Why it went ghost
It’s a major L that we never got to see this project come to life. While Manganiello was hyped to work with Affleck—citing his love for films like The Town—the project eventually hit a dead end. Affleck later shared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that his experience with the Justice League reshoots was the "low point" of his career. He called out the tension between the studio and the filmmakers, noting that he was just "really happy" for Zack Snyder finally getting his own version of the movie released.
Why it matters
For DC fans, this is the ultimate "what if." It offers a rare peek behind the curtain at a massive creative vision that got caught in the crossfire of studio drama, leaving us to wonder how Affleck’s specific take on the Dark Knight would have changed the genre.
