Joe Manganiello May Have Just Teased His Deathstroke Return In James Gunn's DCU

Due to the DC Extended Universe imploding, many storylines and characters never really got a fair chance in the cinematic franchise. That includes Joe Manganiello coming into his own as Deathstroke. He appears briefly in a post-credits scene for 2017's "Justice League" and a cameo in "Zack Snyder's Justice League." However, this is a far cry from Deathstroke getting his own solo movie or being an antagonist in Ben Affleck's "Batman" movie, neither of which ended up coming to fruition. But Manganiello's take on the supervillain may take a dip in the Lazarus Pit and rise again.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, @DCU_Updates shared a photo from Manganiello's Instagram Stories of a little Lego Deathstroke. It could simply be the actor having a bit of fun and showing off his love for the character, but many fans are taking this as a sly hint that he'll return. Some even have ideas of how it could manifest. 

Many seem to think Manganiello's Deathstroke could play a role in the upcoming "Waller" series. Viola Davis is expected to continue playing Amanda Waller, a role she originated in the DCEU, in the new DCU, so there will be some crossover regardless. Manganiello probably had a few minutes of screen time as Deathstroke, so most general audiences may not even remember he played the role previously. And the actor may have an "in" to continue having "Slade Wilson" on his resume. 

Of all the characters to bring over into a new version of the DC cinematic universe, Deathstroke may seem like an odd choice. However, Joe Manganiello has friends in high places, namely the new co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. In April 2018, Gunn posted about this friendship on Facebook, "‪My friend Joe Manganiello turned me onto D&D for the first time in many years. I've had a blast playing — all without ever having to look at a screen." 

Furthermore, Gunn was asked on X in 2022 if there were any plans for Deathstroke to join the DCU, to which Gunn replied, "Could be..." That response is fairly cryptic, and even if Deathstroke does appear in some capacity, there's no guarantee Manganiello would be the one in the mask. But Gunn is known for hiring his friends, even across franchises. After all, Nathan Fillion will play the Green Lantern Guy Gardner in Gunn's upcoming "Superman: Legacy," and those two have worked together on several projects in the past, including "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "The Suicide Squad." Perhaps Gunn will throw his buddy Manganiello a bone and let him actually swing those blades.

This is all purely speculation. There's a very good chance Manganiello shared the Lego because he thought it looked cool and nothing more. But given how good Manganiello looks in the Deathstroke outfit, we're betting many DC fans wouldn't mind seeing him suit up at least once more.