Deathstroke: Joe Manganiello Offers Closer Look at Mask

Joe Manganiello is ready to suit up for Deathstroke and is teasing the mercenary’s costume. Taking on the role of Slade Wilson has been a long time coming for Manganiello. He was once rumored to play Deathstroke in Suicide Squad, only to instead land the role last year. The announcement arrives in the heat of Justice League‘s production, with Manganiello original set to debut as the villain in Ben Affleck’s The Batman. Things have clearly changed since then, with his presence in Justice League uncertain and Matt Reeves starting over on The Batman.

Manganiello finally got some welcome good news this week about his future as Deathstroke. It was revealed that The Raid director Gareth Evans is in talks to direct Deathstroke (that is, a solo movie for the character). This news may not yet be official, but Manganiello is clearly excited to suit up – based on the teaser that he offered his social media followers, in the wake of the news.

Related:

The future Slade Wilson shared the tease on Twitter, providing no caption with the photo, only giving the best and closest look yet at Deathstroke’s suit. The picture specifically focuses on his mask, which has clearly seen its fair share of action. This may also be Manganiello’s subtle way of reaffirming he will be involved with the developing Deathstroke solo film.

pic.twitter.com/WWUOe1voBy— Joe Manganiello (@JoeManganiello) October 27, 2017

Manganiello has certainly traveled a bumpy road on his way to getting a Deathstroke solo film, but the final destination may prove to be well-worth his trouble. Instead of playing second fiddle to Batman, Deathstroke will (hopefully) be explored in a more complicated fashion in his own movie, revealing him to be more than just another run of the mill comic book villain/antihero. Plus, with a director that specializes in action at the helm, all the pieces are in place for a slick DC character solo film here, especially with Manganiello in the lead role.

Evans’ deal to write and direct have not yet officially closed – and since he was the one who pitched the film to Warner Bros., it could fall apart if Evans and the studio can’t see eye to eye. Assuming the deal does close, the focus will then be on completing the script and going through the rest of the pre-production stages, before Manganiello actually gets the chance to start filming. Evans and Manganiello both appear to be very excited for this project, so the hope is that it will come together quickly. WB has several DC films in some stage of development at the moment, so hopefully Deathstroke doesn’t get lost in the shuffle along the way.

NEXT: Fan Art Pits Deathstroke Against Red Hood

Deathstroke is currently in development and does not have a release date.