Jeo Manganiello hopes fans root for him in 'The Batman'

Los Angeles: Actor Joe Manganiello, who essays the villainous character Deathstroke in the upcoming film 'The Batman', is hoping his fans will root for his portrayal of the character.

"This is my character, an exciting one, and has the capacity I think, to be a great villain. And what all the great ones can do is polarise an audience. When I was a kid, I always rooted for the villain. As a kid, I think I would have rooted for him and I think fans will," Manganiello told Robert Irvine magazine, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Manganiello also expressed his excitement to work with actor Ben Affleck, who will play the protagonist, and with Geoff Johns, who worked on the screenplay.

"I've known them all for years and I'm very excited to work with everyone. Ben Affleck makes great films and he's a great Batman. Geoff Johns certainly is a really fun guy to hang around with and has a great grasp on this steering wheel that is the Titanic of the DCEU. Knowing what they have planned for the future, I think fans are really going love it," he said.

There have been delays in production, but Manganiello says it is because the filmmakers want to ensure they put out the "best film possible".

"Last year, I said we might start filming in May and that was my understanding. It depends. They have big plans for this movie. Whether or not we start exactly on that date or in June, whatever it is, it doesn't matter.

"The creative process needs to be respected and no one involved in this film wants to make anything less than an unbelievable film, a legendary film. The movie will start shooting whenever those pieces are in place and we know this is going be something that we're proud of," he added.