HBO True Blood and Sam Raimi Spider-Man alum Joe Manganiello has been confirmed as the villain Deathstroke aka Slade Wilson in the solo Batman film starting Ben Affleck. Manganiello has the height and size to combat the largest Batman in live-action film history.
Fan-casting of Maganiello circulated after Affleck shared test footage of Deathstroke on social media. Slade is a dangerous and charismatic character who is deceptive and formidable in battle. He carries a sword, guns and grenades. One-eyed and having defeated Batman in the comics, expect a knockdown, drag-out fight once the suspected ‘The Batman’ hits theaters.
Formerly known as Deathstroke The Terminator, he has been portrayed on live-action television as the season two “big bad” on the CW’s Arrow by Spartacus alum Manu Bennett. That performance set an expectation that the former werewolf will have to follow. Cartoon Network’s Beware the Batman featured the character and all his criminal behavior. Most recently, Wilson was the primary antagonist in the DC animated feature, Son of Batman.
In other news, Mara Brock Akil(Being Mary Jane, The Game) is producing a Black Lightning television series with Greg Berlanti(Arrow, The Flash) that will air on FOX. Black Lightning aka Jefferson Pierce will be coming out of retirement once his daughter becomes involved in gang-related activity. The series will be the first superhero show that will feature an African-American as its lead in a decade.
Finally, Jason Mamoa begins shooting the reboot of The Crown in January 2017. The production has gone through several issues through the past few years. Actors, such as Luke Evans have dropped out and a production had shut down as a company. The film should not require a large budget, given the scope and tone of the story.
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