Gareth Evans in talks to helm Deathstroke film with Joe Manganiello

Warner Bros. and DC Films are reportedly developing a Deathstroke film with Joe Manganiello and are eying Gareth Evans to direct.

Warner Bros. and DC Films have a vast number of projects on their current slate. Aside from Aquaman and Shazam which are in active production, they also have an array of projects in development. This includes films like Matt Reeves’ The Batman and Chris McKay’s Nightwing. Well, now it seems that they have plans for Deathstroke and already have a director in mind.

The Wrap reports that  Gareth Evans is in talks to write and direct a Deathstroke solo film from Warner Bros. and DC. Additionally, Joe Manganiello is attached to play the titular role.

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Manganiello was originally going to portray the deadly assassin in The Batman. However, plans changed when Ben Affleck stepped down as writer and director and the story started from scratch. Despite this, it appears that the studio found a way to re-purpose the character.

This isn’t the first time Evans has met with Warner Bros.. He first turned down the opportunity to direct Justice League Dark. But, according to the trade, he impressed the studio with a pitch for Deathstroke.

Deathstroke (Slade Wilson) is one of the grittier DC Comics characters, and Evans is no stranger to edgier material. He previously directed the critically-acclaimed film, The Raid and served as a producer on the Indonesian movie, Killers.

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Based on his credits, Evans appears to be the right filmmaker for the job. It must be stressed that nothing is set in the stone yet. But, if Warner Bros. and DC can sign him to the project, it would be good news for both Deathstroke and DC fans.