Summary

• The DCEU wasted Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke, whose main villain role was teased in Justice League and was set to materialize in Ben Affleck's canceled The Batman movie.
• Deathstroke is the perfect main antagonist for the DCU's Teen Titans movie given his lifelong feud with the team and his potential as an independent DC villain.
• With Joe Manganiello officially out, actors such as Stephen Lang and Josh Brolin could replace him as Slade Wilson.

The DCEU wasted a major DC villain, but the DCU's upcoming Teen Titans movie can do the character justice. Several characters were set up to become big players throughout the DCEU's 15 movies, but some of them didn't get the opportunity to show their full potential before the DCEU concluded. For instance, the Joker only appeared in Suicide Squad and Zack Snyder's Justice League, missing the chance to become a recurring DCEU villain. Similarly, both cuts of Justice League teased the team's imminent battle against Darkseid, but the franchise ended before they could cross paths.

Justice League in particular teased the possibility of multiple DCEU villains teaming up to oppose the Justice League. In Justice League's post-credits scene, Deathstroke visits Lex Luthor, who informs him of the Justice League's creation and proposes the idea of forming a team of their own. This is a nod to DC Comics' Injustice League — a supervillain team made up of top-tier antagonists. The DCEU's Injustice League set-up was never acknowledged afterward, and Deathstroke remained a cameo character after Ben Affleck's The Batman movie was canceled. However, an upcoming DCU project can make the most out of the assassin.

Deathstroke Is DCU The Teen Titans’ Ideal Main Villain

Slade Wilson Is The Teen Titans' Famous Archnemesis In DC Comics

Deathstroke is known for taking the side that benefits him the most, whether that be a DC hero or a fellow villain. However, Deathstroke also has held a deep grudge towards the Teen Titans ever since his son Grant died while fighting them. Following his New Teen Titans #2 DC Comics debut, Deathstroke has repeatedly failed to defeat the Teen Titans, yet he keeps tormenting them and their allies. Deathstroke has a special grudge against Dick Grayson after a failed assassination attempt, and Beast Boy has his own grudge against Deathstroke for his cruel treatment of fellow hero Terra.

Deathstroke and the Teen Titans can develop their own feud separate from any Justice League member

Now, the DCU's Teen Titans movie is the ideal opportunity to depict this dynamic on the big screen. Robin hasn't had enough time in the spotlight in Batman movies, let alone have his own enemies. Likewise, the only attempt at bringing Deathstroke to the big screen tied him to Batman. In the new DC Universe, Deathstroke and the Teen Titans can develop their own feud separate from any Justice League member, and the villain could get more opportunities to return in other characters' movies and shows without the baggage of being known as a member of Batman's rogue gallery.

Can Joe Manganiello Play Deathstroke In The DCU?

Joe Manganiello Only Played Slade Wilson In Two Brief DCEU Scenes

Joe Manganiello repeatedly expressed his interest in playing Deathstroke after being cast as the villain in Justice League. However, once Ben Affleck's The Batman was scrapped in favor of Matt Reeves' take on the project with Robert Pattinson in the lead role, the likelihood of a full-length Deathstroke appearance was reduced dramatically. Manganiello played Slade Wilson one last time in the Knightmare sequence of Zack Snyder's Justice League in 2021, which also brought back Jared Leto's Joker for a final appearance. Then, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom concluded the DCEU two years later.

After it was confirmed that the DCEU had no place for Deathstroke, Joe Manganiello revealed that he discussed the possibility of a DCEU Deathstroke prequel in comic book form with artist Jim Lee. Unfortunately, Manganiello's concept for the graphic novel was soon scrapped as well. Manganiello mentions that he headed to James Gunn for comment, to which Gunn allegedly advised him to "let it go." While James Gunn's DCU brings back multiple actors from the DCEU, Manganiello's scrapped Deathstroke graphic novel seems like the final nail in the coffin for his take on the DC villain.

According to Joe Manganiello, The Batman would have seen Deathstroke destroy Bruce Wayne's personal life.

Casting Deathstroke For The DCU’s Teen Titans Movie

Fan Castings Put Forward Various Famous Actors For The DCU's Deathstroke

Joe Manganiello was an inspired casting choice for the DCEU's Deathstroke. However several other actors could bring the Teen Titans villain to life in the DCU effortlessly. Stephen Lang, known for playing Colonel Miles Quaritch in James Cameron's Avatar movies and Norman Nordstrom a.k.a. The Blind Man in Don't Breathe is a popular fan cast for Deathstroke due to his rugged looks and his proven talent for deadly, terrifying, and cruel villains with a military background.

Other actors with skills and similar characters in their filmography include Sicario and No Country For Old Men actor Josh Brolin, who played Cable in Deadpool 2 and Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War; as well as Jeffrey Dean Morgan, whose performance as Negan in The Walking Dead and the Comedian in Watchmen point in the direction of a potentially sarcastic and ruthless Deathstroke; and Mads Mikkelsen, whose bone-chilling performance as the titular murderer in NBC's Hannibal could inform a colder take on the DCU Teen Titans' archnemesis.

Key Release Dates

• 

  The Batman Part II

  Release Date:

  2026-10-02