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Superhero movies have proven themselves endlessly popular over the last decade of filmmaking, resulting in a variety of cinematic universes. Warner Bros. has been making strides with the DC Extended Universe, which was kickstarted with Zack Snyder's first slew of movies. This includes the infamous Justice League flick, which will be getting new life thanks to the Snyder Cut on HBO Max. Joe Manganiello will be back as Deathstroke in the process, and the Magic Mike actor recently explained how his scene was supposed set up Ben Affleck's Batman movie.
Zack Snyder attempted a ton of world-building with Justice League, although his departure from the set resulted in drastic changes to the movie's contents. It turn sout that Joe Manganiello's appearance as Deathstroke was one of those elements, as his scene with Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor set up the possibility of a sequel. But Syder had other plans for that scene, namely to lay seeds for the planned Batman movie starring Ben Affleck which would ultimately be cancelled. Manganiello revealed this original intention being present in the Snyder Cut, saying:
I thought that scene was gone, but [producer] Jon Berg called me up and said, ‘We’ve reworked the scene and put it back in.’ I was as surprised as anybody!
Joe Manganiello's comments to Yahoo! further show just how much changed when Joss Whedon stepped in to complete Justice League in time for its release in theaters. While the 43 year-old actor was only supposed to appear in one scene, even that was changed through the movie's now infamous reshoots. Luckily, it's only a matter of time before we see the original scene on HBO Max.
The Snyder Cut will be released next year on 2021, which is also where the theatrical cut of Justice League is streaming. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
Following Justice League, Ben Affleck was set to star in his own Batman solo flick in the DCEU. But after the movie's disappointing critical and box office performance, Affleck departed as both director and star. Joe Manganiello went on to explain how his original scene was all about Batfleck, saying:
All of that dialogue was about Batman originally, and it was changed to lines like ‘Shouldn’t we have a league of our own?’
And just like that, the original dialogue about Deathstroke and Batman was left on the cutting room floor. Luckily Zack Snyder's original plans will soon come to light, with Manganiello returning to the role for additional footage. Perhaps this will finally inspire Warner Bros. to move forward with the iconic villain on the big screen.
In the end, Justice League's credits scene featuring Joe Manganiello ended up being for naught. A sequel never happened, especially after the first Justice League failed to make money or resonate with audiences. Ben Affleck's Batman movie was also scrapped, although Matt Reeves will bring the Caped Crusader back to theaters with The Batman starring Robert Pattinson.
Zack Snyder is currently in the midst fo completing his vision for Justice League, with HBO Max giving the filmmaker millions to make it into a reality. The four-part project is expected to hit the streaming service next year, with Snyder and company going through reshoots, editing, and extensive visual effects in the process. And the fans can't wait to see it finally released.
The Snyder Cut is expected to hit HBO Max sometime in 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
