Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke could continue on in the DC Extended Universe after his role in Zack Snyder's Justice League. Manganiello first appeared as Deathstroke in the post-credits scene of the 2017 version of Justice League. That appearance teased his role in the Injustice League, something it seemed like Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor hoped to form. After the premiere of Justice League, though, things rapidly changed. As DC scrambled to lay out the future for its troubled franchise, Deathstroke seemed to become an after thought for the studio that once had big plans for the character.
Deathstroke was set to appear in Ben Affleck's solo Batman film, but Affleck eventually left the role. Manganiello says that, at one point, there were several different Deathstroke projects in the works, but those, too, were shelved. Now, Snyder is set to bring the character back for an extended Knightmare sequence. How expansive Manganiello's role is will remain unknown until the Snyder Cut's premiere, but it sounds like the actor is hopeful Deathstroke's appearance in Zack Snyder's Justice League could turn the tides.
Manganiello spoke to the Happy Sad Confused podcast about the character and implied there could potentially be a future for Deathstroke. The actor revealed his character was set to appear in the Suicide Squad sequel at one point, but those plans were ultimately nixed. So, too, were plans for the Justice League sequel he would've appeared in. Still, Manganiello predicts a lot of excitement for the future of his character after viewers see what Snyder has done with Deathstroke in the Justice League Snyder Cut:
I think there's going to be excitement over continuing what Zack was up to.
Manganiello's comments are sure to ignite a ton of speculation. Much of the discussion surrounding the Snyder Cut has centered on Snyder's inability to fulfill his grand vision for the DCEU. Snyder himself has even said he has no plans to continue working within the franchise. Still, this has not stopped some from hoping. Many think Zack Snyder's Justice League has the potential to renew interest in a SnyderVerse, and this could all depend on how well the film does on HBO Max.
If Zack Snyder's Justice League is a massive hit, it could reignite talks of Snyder's return to the DCEU. Manganiello certainly seems to think it could potentially help Deathstroke, at least. It remains unclear how much Warner Bros. and DC Films are willing to bend on this, though. The studio has said the Snyder Cut is a storytelling dead-end, leading many to believe this is the end of the road for Snyder in the DCEU. However, Manganiello's comment could ignite a new wave of fervent speculation.
Source: Happy Sad Confused Podcast
