Is Joe Manganiello Playing Deathstroke In The DCEU?

Deathstroke is coming to the DCEU, and looks like he’ll make his DC Films debut in Justice League.

That bombshell of a villain announcement came in the form of a wordless post on Twitter and Facebook, with a video taken over a monitor of the character, in his full comic book regalia (but an armored version of it), doing a slow turn as the camera zooms into the assassin. That post came from Ben Affleck, who is playing Batman in the films, and is co-writing and directing an upcoming solo film for the character, and it’s made quite the splash.

No sooner were we writing up our own ideas for actors who could play the role of Deathstroke, the master assassin, topping it off with actor Joe Manganiello, than we started to connect the dots: is Manganiello already cast in the role? There are certainly clues, or at least a lot of interesting coincidences, that make it seem that way.

The actor is currently in London, the central hub of all things DC Films. Justice League is shooting at Warner Bros. Studios London, so the location is right. In a picture he posted with his wife, actress Sofia Vergara, he’s even sporting a variation of the ‘ole high and tight, and a nice goatee – a similar look to what Slade Wilson usually sports in the pages of DC Comics and his animated style.

There’s more from Twitter as well, though, as Manganiello’s most recent follow is none other than Justice League director Zack Snyder.

None of this is concrete, and it could all be coincidences; or while he’s in town, maybe he met Snyder through a mutual friend. However, Joe Manganiello has very publicly been in consideration for other roles in DC Films productions in the past. Whether it’s Superman, or Bruce Wayne’s father, or, even, Deathstroke. Yes, he’s been rumored for the role before, that time for Suicide Squad – and he follows that director, David Ayer, too, incidentally.

So is Joe Manganiello playing Deathstroke in Justice League and maybe even eventually in the Batman solo film starring Affleck? The signs point that way. ComicBook.com reached out to Warner Bros., who had no comment on any rumors or speculation.

Justice League is filming now for a November 17, 2017 release.