For the longest time, Deathstroke was a rather obscure DC character. But, thanks in large part to Arrow, the world’s deadliest mercenary permeated the mainstream, with appearances in video games such as Batman: Arkham Origins and animated films like Son of Batman also doing wonders to help his cause.
Much to our delight, Slade Wilson’s future is looking brighter than ever now, as the character recently appeared in a post-credits scene for Justice League, in addition to Warner Bros. kicking around the idea for a solo film. That’s all hugely exciting, especially because Joe Manganiello is absolutely perfect in the role and it seems that he has a bright future in the DC Extended Universe.
There’s the standalone outing we just mentioned, which is being helmed by director Gareth Evans and is looking to Gods of War, Tony S. Daniel and Sandu Florea’s comic series that spanned from 2014 to 2016, for inspiration, as well as appearances in the Justice League sequel and perhaps even a Legion of Doom movie. Yes, it’s true, the Legion of Doom – or the Injustice League, or the Secret Society, or whatever you want to call it – is coming to the DCEU and are set to play a big role.
In fact, recent reports state that Warner Bros. is betting heavily on the iconic supervillain team and is planning for them to have a huge presence in upcoming films in the franchise. Whether they’ll actually get their very own movie is unknown right now, but one fan has taken it upon themselves to create an awesome poster for a Legion of Doom pic that features none other than Deathstroke front and center.
Pretty cool, right? Again, WB’s exact plans for the villainous team remain a mystery, but big things are in store for Slade Wilson, Lex Luthor and the rest of the gang. Apparently, there’s going to be a huge reveal at San Diego Comic-Con 2018, as the studio wants to “continue planting seeds” and will also include a post-credits scene that teases the group at the end of Aquaman, too.
But what other supervillains could join Luthor and Deathstroke in their evil band? Well, the cackling Arkham inmate at the end of Justice League does seem to be suffering the effects of Joker venom, suggesting that Luthor got pally with the Clown Prince of Crime while on the inside. Apart from Joker, Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam seems like another top candidate, too.
Again, though, we’re not sure when the Injustice League will appear next. The Batman? Justice League 2? Man of Steel 2? Wherever it is, hopefully they’ll be able to provide the DCEU with the shot in the arm it needs right now.