DCEU followers will know that Joe Manganiello was in line to play Deathstroke for the solo Batman movie starring Ben Affleck, but plans fell through, and Manganiello’s take on the character was considered a one and done.
In a recent interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast though (via ComicBook), Manganiello revealed that he was up for a larger DCEU role—Superman himself. Manganiello explained, “I met with Zack. I had an hour and a half long meeting with Zack which is what was causing all the trouble… I met everybody – everybody involved.”
As it turns out, Manganiello didn’t land the part all thanks to HBO, who was unwilling to give him time off from his True Blood contract; opening the door up for Henry Cavill to take on the role.
Admittedly, Manganiello does have the physique to play the Man of Steel, and he certainly has a love for the comics that fans usually prefer with their comic book actors. I would say that James Gunn’s reboot of the DC Universe could be a good opportunity for Manganiello to try again, but at 46-years-old, it’s likely he’s already too old to play a younger Superman who has a lot of room to grow.
For now, it’s unclear what James Gunn and Peter Safran’s plans are for the DCEU, but fans are just waiting for the franchise reset that will be the Flash solo film. We don’t know how it will set everything up again, but I was hoping for a better sendoff from someone like Cavill.
The Flash is set to come to theaters on June 16.
