Deathstroke actor Joe Manganiello reveals Batgirl was going to be in Ben Affleck's scrapped Batman movie

Justice League Deathstroke
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Deathstroke actor Joe Manganiello has revealed that Batgirl was going to feature in Ben Affleck's canceled Batman movie.

"There was like a big huge showdown, I think between Batgirl, Batgirl jumps in to try to help Bruce because Deathstroke is so fast that he can anticipate Bruce's movements, and there was this huge fight in Gotham City where Batman is like completely afraid because he realizes he's met someone who can take him," Manganiello told the ComicBook Nation podcast. "And then that leads to this big climactic battle through the streets of Gotham City at the end. It was like a real like psychological thriller where Deathstroke was kind of like a horror movie villain, like a shark, kind of like Jaws."

Zack Snyder has recently revealed his own scrapped plans for Batgirl in the DCEU, which would've seen her training the new Batman – who also happens to be the son of Superman and Lois Lane.

Mangnaniello also talked about his hopes that fans might someday get to see the Deathstroke solo movie, after explaining the work that went in to developing the project. "You know all of that, all of those tracks have been laid down, so it's all there. And I think it would really be a shame if the fans never got to see that. I would go to my grave unhappy."

The actor has previously teased that he might not be done playing Deathstroke just yet, though: "It's also not over currently. There are little irons that are in the fire." He has also spoken to our sister publication SFX Magazine about his canceled appearances as Deathstroke in the DCEU, and teased plot details about the Batfleck movie before. 

While there don't seem to be any plans for a Deathstroke project anytime soon, Manganiello appeared in Zack Snyder's Justice League – both in a restored scene that was altered in the theatrical cut, as well as a scene added by additional photography.

If you've caught up on all four hours of the Snyder Cut, check out our deep dives into everything you could possibly want to know about the movie below:

Molly Edwards
Entertainment Writer

I'm an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.