Well, it’s RIP the Joe Manganiello Deathstroke as it’s learned any hope of a return is not going to happen.
My insiders said Joe Manganiello would have been back as Deathstroke following the original version of The Flash, but now that David Zaslav canceled all those DCEU plans, that includes the cancellation of Manganiello as Deathstroke.
The actor was supposed to star opposite Ben Affleck in Ben Affleck’s version of The Batman, but that’s not all.
Wrote a Deathstroke origin film
Speaking with CB.com, Joe Manganiello reveals the surprising news that he actually wrote a script for a Deathstroke origin movie.
He goes on to say head of DC Comics, Jim Lee, liked it and wanted to make a graphic novel out of it; however, when he approached his best bud, James Gunn, the new head of the DCU about things, Gunn said to let it go:
“James [Gunn] is my buddy, and James and I had a conversation about it because Jim Lee over at DC Comics wanted me to create a graphic novel series based on the screenplay that I wrote for the Deathstroke origin film that, when they were dismantling the DCEU, that went to the wayside as well,” Manganiello said. “Jim read it, and wanted it to be a graphic novel series, but no one could assure me that, if it garnered the attention of directors and producers, that I couldn’t be attached. So I had to let it go. James Gunn was just like, ‘Let it go.’”
How about a different DC character?
The news kind of sucks because Joe Manganiello was never allowed to do anything with his Deathstroke, only appearing in the Justice League post-credit scenes.
It’s known Gunn is bringing back certain actors from the DCEU to his new DCU, including Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, John Cena as Peacemaker, then there happens to be Gunn’s brother, Sean Gunn, playing multiple roles in the DCU, so why not Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke?
It could be that Gunn has no plans for Slade Wilson or has plans for a different direction in his DCU, or even that Gunn has plans for Manganiello to play a different DC character. Any ideas?
Fans have said Jonah Hex, Doom Patrol’s Flex Mentallo, Solomon Grundy, Deadshot, Wildcat, Metallo — or even Batman.
With Marvel’s Avengers: Secret Wars on the way, how about Joe Manganiello as Agent Venom?!
