Joe Manganiello Wouldn't Return as Flash Thompson If It Was Just A Cameo

Joe Manganiello says he wouldn’t return as Flash Thompson in Spider-Man: No Way Home if it was just a cameo. It’s been nineteen years since Manganiello played Peter Parker’s iconic high-school bully in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002), a film, and its subsequent trilogy, that helped usher in an era of big-screen comic book adaptations. With Marvel Studios’ Phase 4 projects poised to explore the multiverse, Spider-Man: No Way Home looks to pay homage to Sony’s previous franchises.

In addition to featuring Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the upcoming Spider-Man sequel will bring back two villains from older Spider-Man films; Jamie Foxx has been confirmed as Electro (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius, aka Doctor Octopus (Spider-Man 2). Rumors have also pointed to the return of cast members like former web slingers Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as well as Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen and Kristen Dunst’s Mary Jane Watson, embracing a concept similar to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

In a Justice Con interview, Manganiello spoke on what’s happening with Sony and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in particular, the Spider-Man franchise bringing back characters from yesteryear. If Molina and Foxx are coming back, why not have Manganiello return as Flash? When asked how he’d respond to the call, Manganiello had this to say:

“It depends what it consists of. With Sony doing Sinister Six, putting together their universe, the X-Men coming over to Disney, and the possibility of Secret Wars surfacing at some point in the future, I just think there are so many amazing characters in Marvel. I will say I was actually offered a part in a Marvel film a few years ago...I grew up on Marvel comics so if I was going to join the universe, I really want it to be the right role and I think sometimes you have to hold out for that right one. So, a little cameo as Flash Thompson, I’d rather do something more substantive —[play] someone who can stick around for a while.”

Raimi’s Spider-Man was Manganiello’s first big movie. He played a stereotypical jock version of Flash, who dates Dunst’s Mary Jane, and fights Maguire’s Peter (post radioactive spider bite). Aside from briefly appearing in Spider-Man 3, Manganiello’s role paled in comparison to say Tony Revolori’s contemporary Flash in Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man films. Manganiello’s stock has risen exponentially since 2002, appearing in several high-profile projects, including Zack Snyder’s Justice League as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, something that was supposed to lead into Injustice League and Ben Affleck’s solo Batman movie, among many other things.

Manganiello’s reportedly been attached to seven different Warner Bros/DC projects that never got beyond the development phase. Given Manganiello undoubtedly frustrating run as a villain in the DC Extended Universe, as well as the recent success of Snyder’s Justice League that could restore the Snyder-Verse, it’s understandable that Manganiello would approach talk of Spider-Man: No Way Home with some trepidation. Being a fan of the genre, the actor is clearly looking to establish himself in one or more universes. Not only is it hard to imagine a middle-aged Flash, who was all but ignored in Raimi’s trilogy, playing a pivotal role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but an appearance could influence future casting decisions, especially if there's already been a discussion about him playing Kraven the Hunter.

More: No Way Home Theory: How Spider-Man Discovers The Multiverse

Source: Justice Con