Actor Joe Manganiello, known for his role in Magic Mike is set to play Deathstroke in DC's upcoming Batman solo movie. A few years ago however, he was very close to playing a different character: Superman.
Manganiello almost played Superman in 2013's Man of Steel. According to an interview with MTV, he revealed that he met with the film's producers and Zack Snyder about playing Superman. But at the time, he was starring in HBO's True Blood. This is where things fell apart.
Warner Bros. called HBO's costume department to get Manganiello's measurements so they could create a Superman suit for him to try on for a screen test. This did not go well. True Blood producers found out about the audition and put a stop to it. They couldn't afford to let him take the time off to record the movie. Since he was contractually obligated to True Blood, he had to pass on the role.
“I’m a sensitive guy and I was kind of rocked by the whole thing,” he explained. He actually never watched Man of Steel until years later when he was on drugs after a surgery. He's in good spirits about it now, but it's clear that he wishes things played out differently.
Playing as Deathstroke does bring him to the DC big leagues, however, facing off 1v1 with Batman, which Superman did in Batman v Superman, so at least he gets that. Plus Deathstroke is awesome.
Justice League hits theaters November 17, 2017. The Batman standalone film has no release date as of yet.
