Joe Manganiello Open to Deathstroke Return: DC Knows Who to Call
The actor says he keeps the Deathstroke helmet in his office and calls playing the DC villain the greatest achievement of his life.
Joe Manganiello has publicly signalled he would be open to playing Deathstroke again, saying DC knows who to call. The actor made the remark while discussing the DC villain he previously portrayed. DC has not confirmed any plans involving Manganiello in the Deathstroke role.
Manganiello said he keeps the Deathstroke helmet from his first time playing the character in his office and looks at it every day. He called playing Deathstroke the greatest achievement of his life. Asked whether that meant yes to returning as Deathstroke, he replied, "you want a warrior, you know who to call."
Why the role mattered to him
Manganiello was battling an undiagnosed autoimmune disease when he was cast as Deathstroke in Ben Affleck's Batman project, which was later scrapped; he credits that casting as his reason to keep fighting. Affleck had planned to direct and star in the standalone Batman film before stepping away, and the project never reached cinemas. Manganiello later made a brief appearance as Deathstroke in the 2017 team-up film, and he has previously said several other projects featuring Deathstroke were cancelled.
Manganiello describes the cancellation as brutal heartbreak and says he is now symptom-free. His memoir Bloodlines: A Memoir, which also covers a life-saving organ amputation and a long search for answers, is out now.
Quick answers
Has DC confirmed Joe Manganiello will return as Deathstroke?
No. DC has not confirmed any plans involving Manganiello in the Deathstroke role.
What did Joe Manganiello say about returning as Deathstroke?
He said, "you want a warrior, you know who to call," and called playing Deathstroke the greatest achievement of his life.
What is Joe Manganiello's memoir called?
Bloodlines: A Memoir, which is out now.