“There’s a new threat in Gotham”: Deathstroke Concept Trailer Shows Keanu Reeves as Slade Wilson Ready to Rain Hellfire on Batman

For Keanu Reeves, the foreboding shadow of violence has loomed large over his reputation as Mr. Nicest Guy in Hollywood ever since he retracted out of Oliver Stoneʼs Platoon in 1986. His decision to avoid on-screen brutality lasted all but 8 years before his action-man persona took over Hollywood and charmed critics and fans alike in the adrenaline-chasing blockbuster Speed in 1994.

What followed soon after was a gallery of his lifeʼs work encompassed within the works of the Wachowskisʼ The Matrix trilogy (1999-2003), Constantine (2005), 47 Ronin (2013), and most importantly, the franchise of John Wick (2014-present).

Such a genre-defining personality in Hollywood has now facilitated a fan-made concept trailer starring Keanu Reeves as the infamous DC supervillain and Batman archnemesis, Deathstroke. And, unsurprisingly, Reeves knocks it out of the park, even though the AI-superimposed deep fake has his face glitching all over the place, making it hard to focus on anything other than the incredible fleshed-out arc of the trailer.

Keanu Reeves Stars as Villain Deathstroke in Concept Trailer

The well-oiled machine that is the comic book industry has seen its glory days when it comes to Marvel. For DC, on the other hand, the era is yet to begin with James Gunnʼs revolutionary DCU. But the most basic law in nature dictates that one needs to adapt in order to evolve and evolution is a necessary step in the process of survival.

As such, fans of the former Snyderverse era have taught themselves to adapt to the new world order, even though their heart calls out to the stories lost in the wind, such as the arrival of Darkseid, the fall of Superman, the Knightmare timeline, and the Injustice League led by Deathstroke. In a new fan concept trailer titled Deathstroke Movie (2025) by Darth Trailer, DCEU fans can finally witness their dreams manifesting into a tangible reality on screen.

Keanu Reeves saunters onto the frame as Slade Wilson claiming, “They took everything, my family, my future. Left me with nothing but the will to survive and the taste of vengeance.” Elsewhere, Commissioner Gordon passes a comment filled with dread and a sense of foreboding as he says, “There’s a new threat in Gotham. They call him Deathstroke.” Deathstroke finishes off the voice-over with a sinister threat: “Power comes at a price. Are you willing to pay, Batman?”

Deathstroke Controversy and the Upending of Batfleck Film

For a long time since the systemic eradication of Zack Snyderʼs DC legacy, fans have been hopeful about a solo DCEU Batman film starring Ben Affleck as the titular superhero. The dark, enigmatic persona adopted by the Oscar-winning star captured the audienceʼs attention due to his vastly radical take on the Caped Crusader that makes Robert Pattinsonʼs noir plot look like a cat playing Scrabble.

However, Ben Affleckʼs vocal support for the film and his development of a script starring Joe Manganielloʼs Deathstroke as the primary antagonist went out the window with too many shifting power structures at DC and the studioʼs eventual merger and reformation into Warner Bros. Discovery. The Batfleck film, which remains a mystery to the people, has now become one of the stories lost in the wind along with the dissolution of the DCEU.

In the aftermath of the canceled Batfleck feature, Joe Manganiello advocated for the film and lauded Ben Affleckʼs radical vision for the two primary characters. But the spark of hope was short-lived and the ambitious script failed to take off amid the ever-widening gap between the new DC Studios and the former DCEU.

As such, a concept trailer starring Keanu Reeves as Deathstroke may be the best outcome, given the poor hand that the DC fans have been dealt in recent years.

Zack Snyderʼs Justice League is available for renting or purchasing on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.