The hype for Ben Affleck's standalone "Batman" movie for the extended DC universe film just went up a notch.
Reports revealed that the actor who will play the film's main antagonist is finally known.
Buzz has been growing around Affleck's upcoming take on "Batman" especially after fans saw how well he handled the role in "Batman v Superman."
Affleck is also a critically acclaimed director, earning an Oscar for directing "Argo" and receiving praise from critics for his film "Gone Girl."
The infamous DC villain "Deathstroke" will be Affleck's main foe and the role will be played by Joe Manganiello.
One of Manganiello's earlier roles was as Flash Thompson who was Tobey Maguire's character's bully in Sam Raimi's 2002 "Spider-Man." Manganiello was 25 years old then.
Today, Manganiello is 39 years old, buffer than ever and ready to take on the role of Deathstroke head on.
Geoff Johns, DC Entertainment president and chief creative officer, told the Wall Street Journal about Manganiello's selection in September.
However, Geoff did not clarify if Deathstroke would also make an appearance in 2017's "Justice League," although speculations are afoot that the character might make an appearance.
Affleck, who got the opportunity to direct and star in the forthcoming "Batman" film, teased fans with test footage of "Deathstroke" but did not disclose who would be taking the role.
Recently, Manganiello shared on his Twitter account a photograph of the very first appearance of "Deathstroke" in Teen Titans #2 comics.
Manganiello wrote: "In honor of #NationalComicBookDay here's a look at the first appearance of #Deathstroke in New #TeenTitans #2"
"Deathstroke" was first introduced in 1980 in the "New Teen Titans No. 2" comics.
For those new to the character, Slade Wilson, Deathstroke's real name, is an expert assassin with super strength and stamina and notorious for being one of the most feared mercenaries in the DC Universe.
He has a healing factor like Wolverine and is a genius-level tactician, making him a worthy foe for the Dark Knight.
On his part, Manganiello has not given any comment on what kind of conflict his character will have against Batman.
