Zack Snyder Fuels DCEU Comeback Buzz With New Superman and Deathstroke Photos

Zack Snyder dropped two new black-and-white shots on Instagram — Henry Cavill in full Superman mode and Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke — and, predictably, the Snyder faithful immediately fired up the 'bring it back' machine. Am I surprised? Not even a little.

What Snyder actually posted

First up: a moody Cavill-as-Kal-El frame Snyder says he snapped on set during Batman v Superman using his Leica Monochrom and a 50mm Noctilux. He also noted he has only been on Instagram for three weeks and thanked people for the welcome.

"Henry Cavill is Superman. From BvS shot with my monochrome 50mm Noctilux. 3 weeks on Instagram thanks to everyone."

Then came a fresh look at Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson. Snyder says that one was taken with the Leica Monochrom too, paired with a modified 50mm 'dream lens' from Zero Optik, and he thanked Manganiello for being a perfect Deathstroke. For anyone keeping score, Manganiello only ever showed up as Deathstroke in an uncredited cameo in both cuts of Justice League — cool tease, never paid off.

Why this stirred people up (again)

These photos hit the sweet spot for fans who miss Snyder's operatic DC vibe. Within minutes, feeds were full of posts calling to revive his corner of the franchise, from pleas to 'restore' the SnyderVerse to the recurring request that Warner Bros. license those characters and storylines to Netflix. Others started guessing whether James Gunn might recruit Snyder for DCU one-offs labeled as Elseworlds. To be clear: none of that is official. Warner Bros. has not announced any plan to continue the DCEU or to farm it out elsewhere.

Quick refresher and what is actually on deck

• 2013: Man of Steel launches the DCEU.
• 2016: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice arrives.
• 2017: Justice League hits theaters after a messy handoff; a different cut lands than what Snyder intended.
• 2021: Zack Snyder's Justice League releases on streaming after years of fan pressure.
• 2023: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom closes the book on the DCEU.
• Now: The new DCU, overseen by James Gunn and Peter Safran, starts up — kicked off with Creature Commandos.
• Yes, Deathstroke: Manganiello's Slade Wilson only appeared as an uncredited cameo in both versions of Justice League.
• Next up in the DCU: Lanterns is expected in 2026, but no firm date yet.
• Also slated for 2026: Supergirl and Clayface, with dates still to be locked.

What Snyder is working on right now

Separate from the DC chatter, Snyder is prepping a drama called The Last Photograph. It follows an ex-DEA operative who heads back to South America to search for his missing niece. Kurt Johnstad — who wrote 300 and collaborated with Snyder on both Rebel Moon films — penned the script. No release date yet.

This round of DC photo nostalgia and the ensuing fan flare-up was first reported by Brandon Schreur at SuperHeroHype.