DC star still backs the Snyderverse – and calls for Warner to be sold to Netflix

Zack Snyder’s message of support for Henry Cavill as Superman on social media was met with a response from Joe Manganiello. The actor remembered his role as Deathstroke by publishing a video created with the help of artificial intelligence, in which he again appeared in the image of this character. The post is tagged with the hashtag #SellWBNetflix, which is often used by fans waiting for DC Comics heroes to appear on other platforms.

This activity of the actor aroused the interest of his fans, who took the publication as a hint of his willingness to once again return to the role of Slade Wilson if the opportunity arose. The hashtag quickly spread across users’ social media feeds.

However, after the DC film series changed course and moved to a new concept led by James Gunn and Peter Safran, Manganiello’s film series as Deathstroke came to an end.

He first appeared in this image in the movie Justice League. He later independently worked on the script for a standalone film about the character’s origins and discussed the project in meetings with the studio.

When the film failed to gain approval, Manganiello attempted to present his story as a graphic novel. According to the actor, DC’s Jim Lee has expressed interest in pursuing the idea as a series. However, the studio could not guarantee Manganiello’s participation in the film adaptation, even though the project received high demand from directors and producers, and he refused to continue the collaboration.

“James Gunn just said, ‘Let it go,’” Joe Manganiello told ComicBook, recalling the studio director’s advice.

Despite various speculations and fan initiatives, the return of Manganiello as Deathstroke is impossible within the current concept of the DC film series.

Currently, the actor has landed a new role in the One Piece project, an adaptation of the popular manga released on the Netflix platform. Manganiello will play the role of Crocodile, one of the first and most dangerous opponents of main character Luffy. Crocodile becomes an important rival and plays a prominent role in the plot.

The creators of the series initially saw Manganiello as the performer for this role. He had already reviewed the anime and read some of the manga, and also celebrated the casting with changes to his social media profiles, posting an image of Crocodile. The second season is expected to premiere in 2026.