Ten years ago at this time, I’d have never thought Deathstroke would be headlining his own animated series. Aside from being a primary antagonist on Teen Titans – and being referred to only as “Slade” – even his inclusion in a video game such as Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe seemed somewhat surprising. Don’t get me wrong, I love the character, but there was a time when even Iron Man was considered obscure to the mainstream.
But since then, key roles in the Arrow TV series and the Batman: Arkham Origins video game certainly helped in boosting the mercenary’s notoriety. There was also the post-credits scene cameo in the Justice League movie, but that seems like a footnote in comparison. On top of that, animated flicks such as Son of Batman and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract assisted in spreading the word.
Now, it’s been confirmed that the CW Seed online streaming service will be rolling out a Deathstroke animated series soon enough. Similar to Vixen, Freedom Fighters: The Ray and Constantine: City of Demons, it’ll continue broadening the Arrowverse beyond live action TV, comic books and novels.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any other official details to share – not even the identity of the lead voice actor. Logically, you’d think Manu Bennett would be enlisted, but nothing’s been confirmed at the time of this writing. I’d certainly hope he’s free, though it’s important to remember that not every actor from the live action side of things has the time to pull double duty. I’ll refer you to the aforementioned Freedom Fighters: The Ray if you require evidence. In that, different actors had to be brought aboard to voice Barry Allen and Oliver Queen.
As always, you’re encouraged to keep watching this space as more Deathstroke details come to light. It’s just hard to pinpoint exactly when that’ll be because it remains unknown how far along in production is. Regardless, though, be sure to stay tuned for more.