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After almost a decade, Manganiello told us that Gunn convinced him to let it go. That’s not before DC made one last overture, though — one that could signal to fans that the comics side is open to revisiting the “dead” universes that lit up screens prior to 2024.
“James [Gunn] is my buddy, and James and I had a conversation about it because Jim lee over at DC Comics wanted me to create agraphic novel series based on the screenplay that I wrote for the Deathstroke origin film that, when they were dismantling the DCEU, that went to the wayside as well,” Manganiello said. “Jim read it, and wanted it to be a graphic novel series, but no one could assure me that, if it garnered the attention of directors and producers, that I couldn’t be attached. So I had to let it go. James Gunn was just like, ‘Let it go.’”
Starting with recasting Superman for the upcoming film Superman: Legacy, nearly every character featured in the “DC Extended Universe” — an unofficial name for Zack Snyder’s shared superhero space which eventually became at least semi-official — has since been abandoned or recast. The only actors returning for James Gunn’s DC Universe so far are the cast of Peacemaker and Xolo Maridueña’s Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle.
Deal or No Deal Island‘s supersized premiere airs February 26th at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC before moving to its regular timeslot at 10 p.m. ET/PT on March 4th. All episodes will be available next day on Peacock.
