Director Zack Snyder, known for helming "Man of Steel" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," has once again sparked a frenzy among DC fans.
Following a recently shared, never-before-seen still of Henry Cavill as Superman, Snyder took to his Instagram to release a brand-new, black-and-white image of Joe Manganiello portraying Deathstroke, reigniting fervent discussions among "RestoreTheSnyderVerse" advocates.
In his post, Snyder wrote, "This one was shot on my Leica Monochrome with a modified 50mm dream lens. Thanks, @joemanganiello, you are the perfect Deathstroke."
The photo depicts Manganiello in battle-damaged armor, his expression stern and cold, embodying the ruthless and intimidating presence characteristic of the assassin Slade Wilson.
The actor, who also starred in "True Blood," made only a brief appearance as Deathstroke in the 2017 "Justice League" post-credits scene, later reappearing in Snyder's director's cut. Originally, Manganiello was slated to be the primary antagonist in Ben Affleck's standalone "Batman" film, which Affleck was also set to direct. However, when Affleck stepped down from directing and Matt Reeves took over, the concept was ultimately shelved.
Notably, Manganiello told Yahoo in a 2020 interview that Affleck's version of the script was "extremely dark," comparing it to David Fincher's "The Game." He explained that Deathstroke was like a shark or a horror movie killer, intended to dismantle Bruce Wayne's life from within, killing everyone around him to make him suffer the pain of losing everything.
While rumors circulated about Manganiello's potential return after James Gunn and Peter Safran took the helm at DC Studios, a comeback now seems unlikely. Instead, a new script focusing on Deathstroke and Bane, penned by "Captain America: Brave New World" writer Matthew Orton, is reportedly in development.