Joe Manganiello has moved on from ever playing Deathstroke again.
The actor played the DC villain in Justice League (and had an extended role in the Snyder Cut), and he was set to reprise his role for Ben Affleck's scrapped Batman movie. There was even a potential Deathstroke film to be directed by The Raid helmer Gareth Evans, which also ended up dead in the water.
"James [Gunn] is my buddy, and James and I had a conversation about it because [DC Comics president] 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 told ComicBook.com. "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.'"
It's unclear if Deathstroke will feature in the new DCU, which begins this year with animated Max show Creature Commandos. The first DCU movie is Superman: Legacy, which releases in 2025. A table read for the film might have revealed its logo, and it has a particularly interesting comics connection.
While you wait for Superman: Legacy, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else in the works.
