The DC Extended Universe film franchise has had a tumultuous run over the years, undergoing huge shake-ups from many different angles. Occasionally, fan-favorite characters get the short end of the stick when cuts get made, and that thus far has been the fate of the DCEU's take on Slade Wilson, AKA Deathstroke the Terminator.
Deathstroke appears in a number of DC film and TV projects, from cartoons like Teen Titans to the CW's Arrow, but his entry into the DCEU has been brief. The character has appeared repeatedly in the DC Animated Movie universe, including starring in a series and film subtitled Knights & Dragons.
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Deathstroke was introduced in 1980 by Marv Wolfman and George Perez as an assassin hired to defeat the Teen Titans. He has remained an adversary of the Titans and will almost always appear in any Teen Titans projects. Many fans may best remember Deathstroke as Slade, the villain of the early 2000s Teen Titans animated series who shares some elements with his comics counterpart but is largely separate. Deathstroke is often a villain but has also played the role of anti-hero and even done a turn or two as hero.
Deathstroke's first and only appearance in the DCEU is in after-credits scenes in both versions of Justice League. The original cut, released in 2017 features the first reveal of Joe Manganiello in the iconic orange and black armor. He appears on a luxury yacht, summoned by Lex Luthor for some enigmatic work. Luthor proposes an agreement between the two, teasing the possible future appearance of a League of Villains to combat the Justice League. The scene is an effective tease, but no payoff has occurred in the six movies released since 2017. Deathstroke has only reappeared in the second attempt at the same film.
The same mid-credits scene reoccurs in the 2021 Snyder Cut of the film, but is re-edited to achieve a new setup. The new take on the scene sees Luthor reveal Batman's secret identity, setting up the possible role for Deathstroke as a Batman villain, a role he has certainly played before. Deathstroke also appears in the new post-credit scene of Zack Snyder's Justice League. He is seen cooperating with Batman's loose collaboration of heroes and villains against a newly evil Superman. Deathstroke would therefore be on the hero team for the theoretical sequel to the Snyder cut if such a film ever released.
Deathstroke has not made it into any of the other films released into the DCEU, nor is he set to appear in any upcoming projects, but he was meant to appear in a couple. Matt Reeves's upcoming The Batman, for example, was salvaged from what remained of Ben Affleck's attempt to direct a Batman film. That film, as intended, was set to feature Deathstroke as a villain. This explains the different versions of his meeting with Lex Luthor, as the original cut was edited to remove that expectation and the Snyder cut insisted on correcting that change. The Batman does not feature Deathstroke, so the character remains a tease.
James Gunn's The Suicide Squad was also meant to feature Deathstroke, in fact, he was meant to fill the role of Idris Elba's Bloodsport. Manganiello's Deathstroke was meant to lead the second team of supervillains to victory in this standalone sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad. Some concept art has even been revealed of the team on the film's island. Deathstroke has been in the Suicide Squad before in the comics, as have most villains who operate at his level. Much like The Batman, his appearance was written out with the introduction of a new director, leaving him in the dark once again.
The Raid: Redemption director Gareth Evans was rumored to be in talks with DC to direct a solo film starring Manganiello's Deathstroke. The film was supposed to be a gritty, dark, and adult-oriented origin story for the iconic assassin. The project was rumored in 2017, then gradually faded as by 2020 Evans revealed he was never properly contracted to direct. All and all, Manganiello has stated publically that around seven different projects have been picked up and dropped over the four years since he first put on the mask. Manganiello has also stated publically last year that he and Zack Snyder are working on projects involving the character in secret.
After seven or more projects have died on the vine, what chance remains for Deathstroke to make his grand re-entry? Well, there are a number of ways he could recapture the spotlight. If Snyder really is in the process of creating a Deathstroke film, an origin story might not be out of the question. Deathstroke's origin is fun and the idea of giving a villain a full origin story would be pretty innovative for the superhero genre. Alternatively, Deathstroke could find his home in the villain role. Among the confirmed upcoming DCEU projects, Deathstroke's best chance might just be Batgirl. This would keep Deathstroke connected to Batman, as seemed to be the intention, and give him a chance to fight a teenager, as he so often enjoys.
One unique aspect of the DCEU is its approach to the multiverse concept. Of the many films connected to the DC Comics franchise, some simply do not connect to others. Joker, for example, has no relation to any other DC project. That being the case, no character, location, or concept is lost forever. Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke could very well make a reappearance in the DCEU, even after his many failed attempts. The DC franchise would be crazy to abandon a fan favorite like Deathstroke the Terminator.