How Justice League’s Joe Manganiello Is Still Keeping The Deathstroke Dream Alive

Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke in Justice League
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

The DC Extended Universe has had a unique life in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. Justice League is perhaps the biggest example of this, with Zack Snyder finally releasing his cut of the movie years later. Now we can see how actor Joe Manganiello is still keeping the Deathstroke dream alive.

Joe Manganiello made his DC debut at the very end of Justice League’s theatrical cut, meeting Lex Luthor and teasing the formation of the Injustice League. While he’d eventually reprise his role for Snyder Cut reshoots, the True Blood alum has yet to have a major role as Deathstroke. But that hasn’t stopped him from keeping hope alive, recently sharing this on social media:

Well, this is sure to turn a few heads. Joe Manganiello recently shared this image and even made it his profile picture. So he’s definitely showing his interest in playing the Batman villain sometime in the future of the DCEU. With so many projects set in Gotham City, this doesn’t seem out of the question.

The above image comes to us from Joe Manganiello’s personal Instagram account, and is sure to pique the interest of DC fans out there. It’s an awesome edit of Deathstroke as he appeared in the Knightmare Sequence of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The hulking actor has repeatedly expressed his interest in playing Slade Wilson at larger capacity, and this photo is sure to stoke the fires of fan theories.

Joe Maganiello's time in the DCEU has definitely been a strange one, only due to his limited time on screen. Following Justice League’s theatrical release, he was expected to be the main villain in a Batman movie starring Ben Affleck. But that project ultimately fell through, and Manganiello had yet to have a starring role in the franchise. Still, his additional footage from the Snyder Cut definitely has fans interested in what he could bring to the role of Deathstroke.

This new image definitely has some fans galvanized, and they’re taking to the comments section to show their support for Joe Manganiello’s DC villain. There are (unsurprisingly) calls to Restore the Snyderverse, in the form of two Justice League sequels. Other comments including hashtags like #BringBackDeathstroke, and some classic fire emojis.

It seems like Zack Snyder’s Justice League was a massive success for HBO Max, with fans thrilled to finally see the titular director’s original vision for the blockbuster. And while campaigns to Restore the Snyderverse began, execs from Warner Bros. shut down those rumors. What’s more, Snyder seemingly hasn’t heard anything from the studios since its release, which makes potential sequels seem all the more unlikely.

But as previously mentioned, Gotham City has continued to be a major setting in the DCEU, which could allow the opportunity for a Deathstroke appearance. The city was seen in Birds of Prey, and will also be featured in The Flash and Batgirl. If any of these projects gets a sequel, perhaps Joe Manganiello will finally be able to get in on the action.

The next installment in the DCEU is Black Adam on July 29th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.