When Ben Affleck teased that Joe Manganiello would be playing Deathstroke in The Batman, fans were elated. The most deadly assassin in DC comics would finally make a cinematic appearance. But as we all know, The Batman fell apart. The film then found new hope when War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves took over as director. However, this also meant that the film would be getting a whole new script. Which put Manganiello’s role as Deathstroke into question. The actor, himself, was even unsure if he would appear in the film.

Now there are reports that Gareth Evans (The Raid and The Raid 2) could direct a standalone film based on the assassin tentatively titled Deathstroke. However, there is still no word yet if Manganiello will play the role. More on the story below.

Sooner or later we will be getting a Batman movie directed by Ben Affleck. But recent news of the actor not being able to commit to it because of the timing or inability to get the script “right” seems to push the timetable further back. The film doesn’t even have an official release date yet, even with Warner Bros. pushing a few other films back. But their efforts don’t seem to be working.

However, Affleck spoke about the current status of The Batman, and assures us that he will direct the film, just give him a “second.” Check out what he had to say below.

Rumors of the tentatively titled The Batman having “serious script issues” were a cause for concern as it put a direct light on what many were fearing. That WB execs didn’t care about the quality of the script and were just happy that the film can make bank overseas. However, Bret Easton Ellis, who was the source of that rumor, backtracked on his comments and clarified that he was merely reporting on a second-hand rumor.

Moving on to much better news, Joe Manganiello, who will play Deathstroke, is talking a little bit about The Batman, its tone, and working with Ben Affleck. Check out what he had to say below.

News of DCEU films having major issues seems to be a recurring thing for Warner Bros., but despite those rumors, the films have been huge box office draws. So it doesn’t come as any surprise that there are new rumors that Ben Affleck‘s The Batman has issues of its own, despite the fact that the Batman v Superman star will direct and co-write the script with Geoff Johns. But there appears to be much more to it than that. It appears that Warner Bros. doesn’t seem to care at all. Check out the full story here below.

DCEU’s Batman standalone film may finally have a start date. So much of the film has been surrounded in secrecy that even its title, The Batman, isn’t even confirmed. We know that Ben Affleck will star, write, and direct the film. But aside from the two dates that Warner Bros. has reserved for two untitled DCEU films, it’s not clear when the film will hit theaters.

Now Joe Manganiello, who is set to play Deathstroke, says the film is expected to start shooting next year. Check out the full story below.