Joe Manganiello Wants Another Shot at Deathstroke and Has a Badass Message for DC
Joe Manganiello still wants another shot at playing Deathstroke, and he's making sure DC knows he's ready whenever that phone rings. The actor's time as the iconic DC villain was frustratingly short, but the role means more to him than most fans probably realize.
When asked about the possibility of Deathstroke returning to the big screen, Manganiello laughed and brought up a personal reminder of his time as Slade Wilson that he keeps in his office.
“You know, I have that helmet from when I got to play him the first time sitting in my office, and I look at it every day, and it’s the it’s the greatest achievement of my life.”
When the interviewer followed up to see if that meant he'd be interested in returning, Manganiello offered a pretty awesome response. “You know, it’s been to hell and back, and… you want a warrior, you know who to call,” he said.
It's hard not to appreciate how much Manganiello still cares about playing Deathstroke, especially considering everything that happened during his brief run as the character.
The actor was originally cast as the villain in Ben Affleck's planned standalone Batman movie, which Affleck was set to direct and star in. Unfortunately, that project fell apart, taking Manganiello's chance to explore the character in a substantial role with it.
He eventually appeared as Deathstroke in a brief scene in Justice League, but that was about as far as things went. Manganiello has previously discussed several other Deathstroke projects that were canceled, describing the experience as brutal heartbreak.
What makes his connection to the character particularly personal is what he was dealing with when he landed the role. Manganiello was battling an undiagnosed autoimmune disease at the time, and he's explained that being cast as Deathstroke gave him a reason to keep fighting during an incredibly difficult period of his life.
That experience helps explain why he considers playing the character such a major personal achievement, despite never getting the opportunity to fully bring his version of Slade Wilson to life.
The actor has since revealed that he's symptom-free, and he opens up about his health struggles in his memoir, Bloodlines: A Memoir.
The book explores his lengthy search for answers about his medical condition, the challenges he faced when doctors couldn't explain what was happening, and a life-saving organ amputation.
As for Deathstroke, there currently aren't any confirmed plans for Manganiello to return to the role in the DC Universe. That's unfortunate because fans barely got to see what he could do with the character.
Deathstroke is one of DC's most formidable assassins, and Manganiello certainly had the physical presence and enthusiasm to make the role his own.
Whether James Gunn and DC Studios ever decide to bring Manganiello back remains to be seen, but the actor clearly hasn't closed the door on the character.
He's still got the helmet sitting in his office, and he'd love the opportunity to put it back on.