The Undeniable Similarities With Deadshot
This is a biggie. Not only do Deadshot and Deathstroke’s names sound similar and their costumes equally comparable, they’re also assassins with soft spots for their children. Okay, Slade might possess enhanced abilities and love katanas, but you see where I’m going with this. The average cinema goers will scratch their head over who’s who without prior knowledge.
Warner Bros. will probably do their best to avoid these similarities, and this is what worries me. If they choose to turn Slade into a coldhearted terminator, with no history, he becomes a shell of a character. What will separate him from Nameless Assassin #2 from every action film of the nineties? If that’s the plan, they could’ve just used him as Lex’s bodyguard in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, instead of Anatoli Knyazev (KGBeast).
Nightwing Versus Deathstroke
When you think of Nightwing and the Teen Titans, who do you see as their greatest foe? Exactly. With the recent news of the Nightwing film being green-lit, it would make all the sense in the world to ensure that Deathstroke is the main villain for the solo outing. I mean, who else could trouble the former Boy Wonder?
If you look back at their comic book history, you’ll see that Slade has killed Dick Grayson’s friends, vexed the Teen Titans countless times, and even torched Blüdhaven. It’s not hard to see why there would be beef between the two of them. Ultimately, Deathstroke might not be Batman’s greatest villain, but he’s certainly Nightwing’s.
Playing It Safe
With the less than stellar reception to the DCEU so far, now’s not the time to get nuts and try weird things. The ship needs to be steered away from danger, letting the universe grow organically. A lot rests on the shoulders of The Batman’s success and decisions need to be made that will ensure it’s the best possible film it can be.
The directors, producers, and screenwriters will need to sit down, talk frankly and openly, and decide what’s best for business and the fans, too. Deathstroke is a decent villain, but is he best suited for Nightwing or The Batman? That’s the big question.
Tell us, would you like to see Deathstroke in The Batman? Let us know in the comments section down below.