As far a cinematic universes goes, there is no place quite as unique as DC's live-action universe. The DCEU has already had plenty of peaks and valleys, with projects regularly announced, and then promptly cancelled. As such, it's unclear when many of the franchise's favorites might return to the silver screen. This includes Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke, who had a brief cameo in the final moments of Zack Snyder's Justice League. After originally being set to appear as the villain in the Batman movie, it now looks like a Deathstroke movie may also be in the works for Manganiello, with Gareth Evans recently rumored to be helming the project. While revealing he's only had a few quick phone calls, Evans praised Manganiello's dedication and knowledge of the DC villain, saying:
I had a phone call which I think was publicized a bit, about Deathstroke with DC. We talked about that before, we had a few conversations. One of the guys at DC and at Warner Brothers, one with Joe, who has been on the character for some time now, who is super passionate about that character, by the way. I've never met anyone who knows more about their character.
Well, that seem pretty clear. It looks like, despite the characters' myriad setbacks, Joe Manganiello is still very much committed to playing the DC's live action version of Wilson Slade aka Deathstroke. Now the question is: when will that be?
Gareth Evans' comments to Comic Book will likely elicit a mixed back of emotions from the DC fandom. On one hand, they'll be pleased to learn just how seriously Joe Manganiello has taken his Deathstroke research. Comic book fans look very closely to film adaptations, and expect each actor to have done a fair amount of homework ahead of performing. Manganiello does just that, and apparently knows more than most of his peers in the superhero genre.
But there's also a downside to Gareth Evans' Deathstroke update: it doesn't seem like he's actually attached to direct a spinoff. Edwards is mostly known for his contributions into the horror world, and therefore seems like a fascinating choice to helm a DC project. The horror genre has been on a serious upswing as of late, and plenty of directors have made their way to superhero movies, including James Wan. A fresh take might be just what the DCEU needs, as Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman is still the only critical success to come from the shared universe.
Seemingly anything can happen in the DC's still growing universe, so perhaps Gareth Edwards will work out a deal with DC after all. If he's taken so many calls, he's at least somewhat interested-- especially if it links him with Joe Manganiello.
The next installment in the DCEU is Aquaman on December 21st, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
