Zack Snyder Shares a Stunning Behind-the-Scenes Shot of Deathstroke

Zack Snyder has been keeping fans entertained on Instagram lately. Since joining the platform a few months ago, the filmmaker has been sharing behind-the-scenes photos from some of his biggest movies. Unsurprisingly, his DC projects have been a major part of his posts.

Just recently, Snyder uploaded a never-before-seen image of Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke, giving fans another look at the character who had only a brief appearance in the DCEU. Alongside the image, Snyder added a short caption where he thanked the actor for his performance, writing, “Thanks to Joe Manganiello for being the perfect Deathstroke.”

Manganiello first appeared as the deadly mercenary in the post-credits scene of Justice League (2017). In that scene, Deathstroke meets Lex Luthor, played by Jesse Eisenberg, aboard a yacht. Luthor hints at forming a team of villains, teasing what could have been a major storyline in future DC films.

The character was supposed to have a much larger role later on. Ben Affleck’s version of The Batman, which he planned to both direct and star in, was set to feature Deathstroke as the main villain.

The story reportedly would have followed the assassin as he tried to destroy Bruce Wayne’s life piece by piece. Unfortunately, that version of the movie never happened after Affleck stepped down as director, and the project was eventually reworked into Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), starring Robert Pattinson in a completely separate universe.

Still, Manganiello didn’t give up on the character. Hoping to continue Deathstroke’s story, he even wrote his own script centered around the assassin. Warner Bros. showed some initial interest, but plans changed once DC decided to move forward with a complete reboot under James Gunn and Peter Safran’s leadership.

Even so, Deathstroke might not be gone from live action just yet. In late 2024, reports surfaced that a movie involving both Deathstroke and Bane was in early development, with writer Matthew Orton attached to the project.

Earlier this year, Orton was confirmed to be working on a new DC Studios movie. While James Gunn clarified that it wasn’t directly focused on those two characters, he mentioned that it had a similar tone and concept. The film is expected to shoot at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in England sometime this year.

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