Joe Manganiello has grown to be a pretty formidable face in the genre world, between his standout role on True Blood and his cameo as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke in Justice League. Later this year, fans will get to see an entirely new side of the actor in Archenemy, a twisted superhero tale from the producers of the Nicolas Cage cult classic Mandy. Thanks to a newly-released trailer, we have a look at exactly what that will entail. RLJE Films recently debuted a new trailer for Archenemy, as well as the news that the film will be released in theaters and on-demand on December 11th of this year. The film was originally expected to debut sometime in 2021.
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Archenemy stars Manganiello as Max Fist, a man who claims he’s a superhero from another dimension, who was stripped of his powers after landing on Earth. As Max quickly realizes, no one believes his true identity, outside of two teenagers. The siblings convince Max to help them take out a local drug gang, where Max’s abilities are put to a violent and harrowing test.
“Archenemy is about finding the heroes amongst us, and within us, something that I think everyone can relate to in today’s world,” Voltage CEO Jonathan Deckter said in a statement when Manganiello was first cast. “We’re thrilled to add this fun, action-packed superhero to our diverse lineup and are excited to work with Adam and SpectreVision on our second film to bring this dynamic duo to the streets, and to our partners around the world.”
The film also stars Skylan Brooks (The Darkest Minds) as Hamster, Zolee Griggs (Adam Ruins Everything) as Indigo, Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as The Manager, and Amy Seimetz (You’re Next) as Cleo. It is produced by Manganiello and his brother Nick Manganiello, as well as Elijah Wood, Kim Sherman, and Lisa Whalen. It is written and directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer (Daniel Isn’t Real, Some Kind of Hate).
This will be the latest action-packed turn for Manganiello, including his expected return as Deathstroke in the long-awaited “Snyder Cut” of Justice League.
“The best, quote-unquote, I hate calling them this…calling them a ‘villain,’ is understanding where they’re coming from. They’re a villain to people who are opposing them, but from the inside, this is a person who’s struggling with all types of things,” Manganiello said of the character in a previous interview. “I think it’s really interesting to tell that kind of story and tell the truth, emotionally, of a story like that when you’re talking about a man who lost an eye, was betrayed, lost his son. These different types of aspects and you couple that with real-world military training.”
What do you think of the new trailer for Archenemy? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
As mentioned above, Archenemy is set to be released in theaters and on-demand on December 11th.
