It’s happening. Deathstroke is joining the DC Extended Universe.
Earlier today Ben Affleck revealed the cinematic existence of Deathstroke with a cryptic video. The clip showed the fan favourite villain on the Justice League set, with the Batmobile visible in the background. While this led many of us to believe Deathstroke would appear in Justice League, according to The Wrap the villain won’t be introduced until Ben Affleck’s solo Batman movie.
Affleck alongside comic book genius Geoff John’s has been writing the script for a solo Batman movie for quite a while, and has previously stated that he won’t move forward until the script is perfect. With a Batman movie in development, but no official release date announced, I doubt we’ll be hearing any casting announcements soon, so it’s the perfect time to discuss which actors we would like to see possibly appose Ben Affleck’s Batman.
Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy has already proved that he looks badass butting heads with Batman. After his villainous turn as Bane in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy publicly revealed that he would love to get involved with another DC Comics project. Hardy was even set to play Rick Flag in Suicide Squad before The Revenant blocked up his schedule.
Hardy is one of the biggest stars on the planet, and young enough to appear in multiple DCEU movies so it would be a smart move for Warner Bros. to snatch him up, and get him involved in their cinematic universe before another offer comes his way. Not to mention he’s built to play a character like Deathstroke.
Joe Manganiello
After two years of rumours will we finally get to see Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson a.k.a. Deathstroke?
Joe Manganiello is the most likely candidate for Deathstroke. Not only is he currently in London, where Justice League is filming but he recently followed Zack Snyder on Twitter. After two years of fans campaigning to get the actor cast, could Warner Bros. prove that they listened with the solo Batman movie? I guess we’ll need to wait to find out, but personally I love the idea of Manganiello as Slade Wilson.
Matt Damon
Damon did just prove that he can keep up the action with Jason Bourne.
It would be a great move for Ben Affleck to cast his best buddy Matt Damon as the villain in a solo Batman movie. These are two actors that have a real and unique relationship, so seeing them go head to head on the big screen would be a highly enjoyable experience. Damon has expressed excitement for Affleck’s Batman movie in the past, saying he’d love to work with his friend again, so it’s not a massive stretch to think the actor would join a Batman movie.
If Matt Damon is set to join the DC Extended Universe in any way, I can’t help but hope it’s for a character like Deathstroke. Damon can bring depth to the character, while also offering the badass action sequences that fans have come to expect.
Brad Pitt
This is the least likely on the list, but I can’t help but love the idea of Brad Pitt as Deathstroke.
I can’t imagine Brad Pitt is particularly interested in joining a comic book movie, but we’ve seen in the past that Warner Bros. and DC Comics love to chase big names for their movies, and it’s the smart move for an actor to join a big franchise movie, especially if it has the words Bat and Man in in there.
Julian Lewis Jones
A while back Julian Lewis Jones revealed that he had joined Zack Snyder’s Justice League movie. Fans immediately connected his name to the likes of Steppenwolf or perhaps Zeus, but it’s now possible that the Welsh actor has landed the role of Deathstroke.
Jones would make a lot of sense for the role of Slade Wilson. Not only is he the right age, but he’s also in the right physical condition. We know that the actor is connected to the DCEU in some way, so did Affleck just secretly reveal that role?
So who do you think will play Deathstroke in the DC Extended Universe? There are so many great choices so be sure to drop your pick in the comments below.
