What is going on with Ben Affleck's The Batman? Warner Bros. has only confirmed the movie very casually, and Ben Affleck himself doesn't want to admit that it is actually happening. But on the flip side of that, we have a very ambitious Joe Manganiello, who previously stated that the DC Films standalone would shoot early next year. Now, in a new interview, the guy playing Deathstroke claims the movie is shooting this year.

That's right. In 2016. This December. The year only has a few weeks left in it, and we're quickly heading into the holidays, a time when most film crews shut down for a week or two so that everyone can spend time with the family. But not over at Warner Bros. If we're to believe Joe Manganiello, this movie is happening very soon.

At this point in time, any and all official details about The Batman are being kept under lock and key. We do know that Ben Affleck will reprise his role as billionaire Bruce Wayne. And that Joe Manganiello is playing iconic DC villain Deathstroke. J.K. Simmons has confirmed that he'll return as Commissioner Gordon, and Jeremy Irons has also confirmed his return as Alfred the Butler, but these casting announcements haven't been made by DC Films or Warner Bros. in any official capacity.

While promoting The Accountant, Ben Affleck seemed very hesitant to even admit that The Batman was a really movie, which he is reportedly writing alongside DC Films boss Geoff Johns. The actor/director claimed that the movie wouldn't happen at all if they couldn't crack the script, and perfect the story 100%. Maybe Joe Manganiello's latest statements indicate this has finally happened?

Joe Manganiello made an appearance on the The Rich Eisen Show. There, he continued his tradition of being kind of a loud mouth when it comes to these so-called secretive superhero projects that he's not really supposed to be talking about. This time, his latest update certainly feels a bit suspect. Is it possible that the actor doesn't really know what is going on? Or what year it is? He says this.

"I play the world's deadliest assassin, who also has one eye. We will start at some point this year, it looks like."

Perhaps Joe Manganiello is confusing December with January in his busy schedule. That is certainly possible. Because having The Batman start shooting in the next three weeks not only sounds incredibly ambitious, it also would be quite the surprise for those with a vested interest in the project. Before this interview, Joe said the movie was kicking off production in Spring 2017.

Manganiello has already been fitted with his Deasthstoke costume for a cameo in Justice League, but it's possible that movie is undergoing reshoots, and he still has some work to finish there. Or he's involved in some preliminary production work, which is most likely the case. Most likely, this is a case of the actor misspeaking. But then again, there have been bigger surprises, and perhaps Warner Bros. and DC Films just want to keep the movie moving slightly under the radar for the time being while they focus on launching Wonder Woman and Justice League in 2017. Many have speculated that Aquaman recently moved from its Summer 2018 release date to make way for The Batman. That hasn't been confirmed. You can check out the video here for yourself.