Ben Affleck’s The Batman included a fight between Batgirl and Deathstroke, according to Joe Manganiello. After joining the DC Extended Universe as Zack Snyder’s Batman, a plan developed for Ben Affleck to tackle a solo movie. He was set to write, direct, produce, and star in The Batman, but Affleck eventually walked away from the movie. Even though there is great interest in Matt Reeves’ new take with Robert Pattinson, many fans still wish Affleck’s The Batman could’ve happened.

The full extent of Affleck’s plans for The Batman hasn’t been revealed, but several pieces of information have surfaced over the years. The most publicized aspect of his movie was the inclusion of Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, as the main villain. Joe Manganiello’s portrayal debuted in Justice League, and now Zack Snyder’s Justice League showed the original scene he was in. Deathstroke’s meeting with Lex Luthor saw Slade learn that Bruce Wayne is Batman to set up a story where the expert mercenary destroys Bruce’s life. It turns out that Deathstroke would’ve also fought a member of the Bat-Family.

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Joe Manganiello recently appeared on the ComicBook Nation podcast and spoke about the plans for Ben Affleck’s The Batman. For the first time, Manganiello revealed that Batgirl was scheduled to make an appearance in the film. This would’ve resulted in Deathstroke fighting Batgirl as she tried to help Batman.

There was like a big huge showdown. I think… 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, you know, completely afraid because he realizes he’s met someone who can take him. And that leads to this big climactic battle through the streets of Gotham City at the end.

The idea of Batgirl appearing in The Batman is a fascinating new tidbit about Affleck’s and the DCEU’s plans. Affleck never teased that other members of the Bat-Family would appear in his movie. His Batman already lost one sidekick, with Joker killing Robin in the past, so the inclusion of Batgirl could have been a way for Bruce to reflect on his past mistakes. It is also worth noting that while a Batgirl movie is in development, WB and DC didn’t begin working on that project until after Affleck stepped down as director and writer of The Batman. This could indicate that the movie only started being developed after she was no longer tied to The Batman‘s story.

That said, the appearance of Batgirl in The Batman could have helped set up Zack Snyder’s future DCEU movies. Manganiello doesn’t specify which version of Batgirl would appear, but Barbara Gordon is the best-known person to hold the title. Snyder recently revealed that Barbara Gordon would be the Commissioner of Gotham in the epilogue of Justice League 3. Her appearance as Batgirl in The Batman could have given audiences a chance to see her as a different type of crime-fighter. Unfortunately, Affleck’s version of The Batman isn’t happening, so Batgirl’s DCEU debut and a fight with Destroke will have to wait.

Source: ComicBook Nation

Key Release Dates
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  • The Suicide Squad (2021)Release date: Aug 06, 2021
  • The Batman (2022)Release date: Mar 04, 2022
  • DC League of Super-Pets (2022)Release date: Jul 29, 2022
  • The Flash (2023)Release date: Jun 23, 2023
  • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)Release date: Mar 17, 2023
  • Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2022)Release date: Dec 16, 2022
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Cooper Hood
(5633 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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