Joe Manganiello says that "tracks" for a Deathstroke movie have been laid down.

The 44-year-old actor portrays the supervillain Slade Wilson/Deathstroke in the DC Extended Universe and revealed that plans are in place for a standalone film featuring the character and hopes fans are able to see the project come to fruition.

Joe, who recently played the villain in 'Zack Snyder's Justice League', said: "You know all of that – all of these tracks (for the Deathstroke movie) have been laid down.

"So you know it's all there and I think it would really be a shame if the fans never got to see that. I would go to my grave unhappy."

A number of projects featuring Deathstroke were axed and Joe revealed that he even decided to write his own origin story featuring the character, such was his frustration about not fitting into the universe.

He told Comicbook.com: "The studio was very much enthralled by all of the research that I was doing. I was starting to build the character out and pitch them ideas and I built a back story.

"I wanted Deathstroke to be human and grounded so I started with, you know, he was part of the American military."

The project never materialised after Warner Bros. scrapped the idea, something that Joe laments after the success of the Todd Phillips movie 'Joker'.

He previously explained: "It was not seen as a priority to make a $40 million movie about a villain origin story in which you show the backstory.

"That would never work! That would never make a billion dollars and get someone and Oscar. Never!"