Joe Manganiello
Joe Manganiello will play Slade Wilson/Deathstroke in the solo Batman movie. Luke MacGregor/reuters

Joe Manganiello, who is set play the one of the main villain in Ben Affleck's solo Batman movie, opened up about his Slade Wilson/Deathstroke role and revealed that the audience is going to be surprised.

The True Blood actor appeared on Mark Madden's Pittsburgh sports podcast and said, "When I met Ben [Affleck] we sat down and we talked about, you know, the role. We talked about the movie. His take is a fresh take but I think the audience is going to be surprised. Because it's a road that no one's really gone down that's completely integral to, you know, who Batman is."

According to Manganiello, the movie will feature all the elements that people love about the Dark Knight. "And I think it's gonna be refreshing but at the same time completely familiar. But it's going to take this franchise in a direction that I think a lot of people are going to be really happy about. It's going to be gritty and action packed and cerebral and all of those elements that people love about Batman," the 39-year-old actor revealed.

ben Affleck
Ben Affleck will direct and star in the solo Batman movie from a script co-written with Geoff Johns Luke MacGregor/Reuters

Joe also showered praise on his co-actor and director, Affleck. "Ben's a great director, man. I mean the last movie that man directed won best picture. He's got an Oscar for writing. Like, this is all the components to go down as a... everything is lined up for a really really really great movie. Not only a superhero movie but just a great great movie."

The Gone Girl actor will co-write the script along with Geoff Johns for the upcoming Batman movie. Before the solo movie, Affleck's Caped Crusader is set to appear in Justice League movie, set for release on 17 November, 2017.