Zack Snyder's Justice League Easter egg hints at hidden history of Batman villain

Zack Snyder's Justice League might not have even released yet, but people are already spotting Easter eggs.

Thanks to the #SnyderCut Exhibit, which has opened in the US, we have a closer look at some images and costumes from the movie – including Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke suit. Actor Geoff Reeves noticed a link to another famous Batman villain, Ra's Al Ghul. On the hilt of Deathstroke’s sword, there's a red circular symbol – a marking associated with the Demon's Head himself.

Checking out @ZackSnyder ‘s #justiceleague display in Dallas & saw this little gem on #Deathstroke ‘s costume worn by @JoeManganiello! The bottom symbol over the shoulder is Ra’s al Ghul! I hope a Deathstroke movie w/ Joe happens. It’s such a Great backstory!#attdesigndistrict pic.twitter.com/zVo1uWzcbyMarch 11, 2021

Josh Horowitz, host of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, confirmed on Twitter that the Easter egg is intentional – and was backed up by Manganiello, who commented "Easter Egg found…"

Easter Egg found... #SnyderCut https://t.co/c5FfJSrh9QMarch 11, 2021

The last time Ra's was seen on the big screen was Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, where he was portrayed by Liam Neeson. In DC comics, the character heads up the League of Assassins (or League of Shadows) – a group of killers Deathstroke has a casual working relationship with. 

While there's no indication the League of Assassins will be showing up in the Snyder Cut, it's still an interesting tease at what Deathstroke's past could include, or what he might be up to when he's not after Batman.

At the moment, the only time we're guaranteed to see Manganiello back as Deathstroke is in Zack Snyder's Justice League, where he has a part to play in the Knightmare timeline, an alternate version of the future in which Darkseid has conquered Earth. However, Manganiello has teased that "it's also not over currently. There are little irons that are in the fire."

Hopefully, we will get to see more of Manganiello's Deathstroke in future DC projects, but until then, you can catch him in Zack Snyder's Justice League, which releases this March 18. While you wait, check out how to watch DC movies in order to get up to speed, and find the best HBO Max prices and deals.