Live-action footage of DC Comics villain Deathstroke on the internet is nothing new – we’ve seen the character on the CW show “Arrow,” portrayed by actor Manu Bennett. Live-action Deathstroke footage being tweeted by Batman himself, Ben Affleck, well, that’s something else entirely.

In Batman-like stealth fashion, Affleck dropped a tweet with what looks to be test footage of an unidentified actor suited up as Slade Wilson, aka one of the most lethal killers in the DC Comics universe: Deathstroke.

The question that has no doubt stopped the presses over at The Daily Planet is what part, if any, Deathstroke may have in Warner Bros./DC Entertainment’s upcoming movie slate. We know that Affleck recently had his utility belt amplified slightly when he was named an executive producer of WB/DC’s upcoming “Justice League” movie.

Deathstroke doesn’t seem to be the type of villain who would scare Affleck’s Batman into traveling around the world searching for super-powered beings. In “Justice League,” Affleck/Batman is building a team to go up against an unknown – as of right now – and possibly other-worldly threat. Deathstroke is a heavy hitter when it comes to DC bad guys, but does Batman really need Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, the Flash (and possibly a back-from-the-dead Superman) to take him on?

What if this footage is instead the beginnings of a solo Batman project that he and DC Entertainment President Geoff Johns have both confirmed they are working on? We’ve already seen Batman’s rivalry with another assassin, Will Smith’s Deadshot in “Suicide Squad.” Deathstroke seems like the right type of villain for future solo-Batman films.

While it might be a while before we know who is under the Deathstroke mask and when and where he’ll appear, if there’s one thing this reveal does confirm, it’s that the DC Comics universe on film is continuing to grow.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.