Joe Manganiello has revealed new details about the abandoned Batman movie that would have starred and been directed by Ben Affleck, offering another glimpse at what DC fans missed when the project fell apart.

Manganiello was originally set to play Slade Wilson, better known as Deathstroke, opposite Affleck’s Batman. The character briefly appeared at the end of Justice League, teasing a much larger role in the DC universe.

Manganiello described Affleck’s Batman movie as a much darker story, with Deathstroke essentially tearing Bruce Wayne’s life apart piece by piece.

“It was a really dark story in which Deathstroke was like a shark or a horror movie villain who was dismantling Bruce’s life from the inside out… It was this systemic thing: He killed everyone close to Bruce and destroyed his life to try and make him suffer because he felt that Bruce was responsible for something that happened to him.”

Rather than simply trying to defeat Batman physically, Deathstroke would have attacked Bruce Wayne from every direction, targeting the people closest to him and stripping away the life he had built before eventually confronting him directly.

Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne [Warner bros.]

The story would have positioned Deathstroke as more than a traditional comic book villain. Manganiello’s description makes the character sound almost like a relentless horror movie antagonist, methodically closing in on Bruce and leaving destruction behind him.

Affleck had been developing the standalone Batman movie following his appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Manganiello’s Deathstroke was expected to play a major role, but the project eventually went through major changes.

Affleck stepped away as director before ultimately leaving the Batman role altogether. Matt Reeves later took control of the franchise and developed an entirely different version of the character with Robert Pattinson starring in 2022’s The Batman.

Manganiello’s Deathstroke never received the larger role that had originally been planned, although his brief appearance remains one of the biggest reminders of the DC storyline that never came together.

Nearly a decade later, details about Affleck’s canceled Batman movie continue to fascinate fans, especially as more information emerges about just how dark and personal the battle between Batman and Deathstroke would have been.

Antonio Banderas has joined Nicolas Cage in the upcoming fifth season of HBO’s True Detective.

The two actors are set to headline the next chapter of the anthology series, which is expected to begin production in 2027. Season 5 will once again be led by writer, director and showrunner Issa López, who previously oversaw True Detective: Night Country.

The new season will move the story to Jamaica Bay, New York, giving the series another completely different setting following the icy Alaska backdrop of Season 4.

Banderas is set to play a character named Rai García, while Cage will portray Henry Logan. Additional details surrounding their characters and the season’s central mystery have not yet been revealed.

Cage’s involvement gives the new season one of the biggest stars the franchise has featured to date. The role will also mark one of the relatively rare major television appearances of his career.

Banderas brings another major name to the cast following decades of work across films including The Mask of Zorro, The Legend of Zorro, Desperado and the Puss in Boots franchise.

López will executive produce the season alongside a team that includes Nicolas Cage, Antonio Banderas, Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey and series creator Nic Pizzolatto.

The fourth season, True Detective: Night Country, starred Jodie Foster and Kali Reis and became the most watched season of the series according to HBO, drawing 12.7 million cross platform viewers.

HBO has not yet announced a premiere date for True Detective Season 5.

Zendaya is heading back into the world of science fiction for a new project from filmmaker Alex Garland.

The actress is set to star in an untitled sci-fi film for A24 that will be written and directed by Garland. Plot details are currently being kept under wraps, but production is expected to begin in 2027.

The film will continue Zendaya’s relationship with A24 following Euphoria and The Drama. It also marks another collaboration between Garland and the studio after projects including Civil War, Men and Warfare.

Garland has become one of the most recognizable filmmakers working in modern science fiction, with previous credits including Ex Machina, Annihilation and the FX series Devs.

He is also currently developing A24’s upcoming adaptation of Elden Ring, which is scheduled for release in March 2028.

Zendaya has remained one of Hollywood’s busiest stars, with major franchise projects continuing across Spider-Man and Dune. Her pairing with Garland now adds another high profile sci-fi project to her growing slate.

No title, additional cast members or release date have been announced.