Earlier this week, Ben Affleck posted a clip of the solo Batman movie’s villain on Twitter. The clip was less than 30 seconds, but was long enough to make a large number of DC fans very excited. The Wrap reported that this was no mere speculation, and that an insider “with knowledge of the situation” confirmed that the main villain of the solo Batman film would indeed be Deathstroke.
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) August 29, 2016
Based on the costume alone there really was very little doubt as to who the character could be – especially consider the way the camera focused on only one of the villain’s eyes (Deathstroke lost an eye and wears a patch). The figure is dressed in Deathstroke’s iconic colours, albeit in a grittier, trying-to-be-more-realistic costume. Despite literally nothing else being shown, it’s still an exciting tease.
Deathstroke has had a very rich history, in the comic books, in the animated universe, and in television. Deathstroke, or Slade Wilson, made his first appearance in The New Teen Titans #2, released in 1989. He was created by comic legends Marv Wolfman and George Perez as a mercenary and assassin who has skill that is second to none. He’s commonly referred to as the greatest assassin in the DC Comics Universe and one of the greatest villains of all time.
In the comics, Deathstroke has gone up against many members of the Justice League, including Green Arrow and Batman himself. Batman’s first encounter with the legendary mercenary ended with Batman being severely beaten, in 1991’s “City Of Assassins” story arc.
The famed assassin also featured heavily in a few seasons of CW’s Arrow, played brilliantly by Manu Bennett. While this version of Deathstroke came into his powers much differently than his comic book counterpart, the role was a favourite among critics and fans alike. Some fans began speculating that DC had it’s eye on the character for film for quite some time, ever since it was revealed that he wouldn’t be making a return to Arrow anytime soon. When directly asked about Slade’s future, producer Marc Guggenheim gave fuel to the rumour machine by saying that “the character of Slade Wilson is currently tied up in another DC project”.
Not much else is known about the role Deathstroke will play in the new movie, nor do we know who will be stepping behind the mask. There are rumours that the solo Batman film will be more of a detective story and less of a superhero film, with the cunning and dangerous Deathstroke as the primary villain. Slade Wilson is traditionally incredibly intelligent, with a complicated moral system, and an axe to grind, so if this rumour is true it could make for a brilliant showdown.
Ben Affleck’s Batman film is currently without a release date. You can currently see him as the caped crusader in Suicide Squad, still in theatres. Unless there is a cameo in Wonder Woman, which will be released on June 2, 2017, Affleck’s Batman will be skulking across our screens next on November 17, 2017, when Justice League is released.
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