Joe Manganiello’s road to fame has not been straight. He got his break with a part in Magic Mike but often has had to play smaller or secondary roles in blockbusters. Most fans don’t know that he was close to getting cast by the two biggest superhero franchises, Marvel and DC but it eluded him.
Nonetheless, after spending 25 years in the industry, Manganiello is finally being recognized. The actor has been cast as Crocodile in the second season of One Piece, a live-action adaptation series by Netflix.
The Road Not Taken: Missed superhero opportunities
Joe Manganiello portrayed a significant role in Magic Mike which began what was supposed to be a smooth ride to stardom. The actor even got the opportunity to play the role of Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man.
That was not his only foray into the superhero genre because he went on to appear in the 2017 Justice League as Deathstroke. He also reprised his role in the contentious 2021 Jack Snyder’s Justice League, and things started looking up for the actor.
According to ComicBook.com Manganiello was supposed to be gearing up for his role in Ben Affleck‘s The Batman, but it never happened. The actor supposedly wrote a screenplay for his character which impressed some, but ultimately the final decision to reboot thwarted his plans.
I had to let it go. James Gunn was just like, ‘Let it go.’
Even though the actor had big plans for his character’s future, he said James Gunn told him to ‘let it go’ because there was no reassurance. However, this was not his last contact with the superhero genre, another huge director had approached him for a role.
The Long Wait: One Piece redemption for the almost Marvel hero
In February 2024 the How I Met Your Mother actor spoke to ComicBook.com about another possible Marvel role. The actor revealed that he almost appeared in one of the best MCU movies but things didn’t work out.
Years ago, Taika Waititi wanted me for one of the Thor movies and I couldn’t do it … It was impossible for me scheduling-wise to do it at the end of the day.
It was Taika Waititi who approached the actor for a role in an undisclosed Thor movie. Since the filmmaker was first involved in Thor: Ragnarok it is possible the offer was related to that film rather than the recent Thor: Love and Thunder venture.
Given the years he has spent in the industry, along with his physique and appearance the actor should be a part of either the MCU or DC movies. Nevertheless, these missed opportunities have been left long behind as the actor steps up for a stellar performance in One Piece.
