Very mild spoilers for Suicide Squad are in this article. You've been warned.
This weekend saw the release of Suicide Squad, the much talked about third entry in the DC Extended Universe. The film features a line-up of DC villains both iconic and D-list, and the road to the theater was filled with rumors on who would fill out the team. One of the most popular theories surrounded the actor Joe Manganiello (True Blood, Magic Mike) when it was reported that he was in talks to play a character in the movie. The immediate assumption that he was playing Deathstroke, but now that the movie is out, we can confirm that all these rumors were false.
For those who don't know, Deathstroke the Terminator is a mercenary in the DC comics. He's a weapons expert and a master martial artist, and for the right price, he'll kill anyone or pull off any job you want done. He definitely would have been a fitting character to be part of Suicide Squad. About one year ago, we reported that Joe Manganiello was up for a mysterious role in Suicide Squad that was more than likely Deathstroke. Manganiello certainly fits the physical requirements for the character. The report gained some buzz until it reached Manganiello, who went on Twitter to clarify things. Apparently, Deathstroke wasn't the character he was in talks for, and either way, he didn't sign on for the movie.
There was still hope that Deathstroke could be played by a different actor (like Scott Eastwood), but it seems like he was never in contention to be in the film. The final cut doesn't mention Slade Wilson at all, and from what I could tell, there were no Easter Eggs hinting that he even existed. It would have been cool to see Deathstroke mixing it up, but in a film that already has Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Joker and Amanda Waller, there might not have been enough room for the good old DC Comics Terminator.
That's not to say that the character can't show up down the line in a future DCEU film. He used to be on the TV show Arrow, but the character was written off after Season 2. An Arrow executive producer said the character was unlikely to appear again anytime soon because he was "currently tied up in another DC project." At the time, people thought that meant Suicide Squad, but now it's clear that isn't the case. Perhaps Deathstroke is being saved for the Batman solo movie or some future unannounced film? We'll just have to keep waiting.
It might not have any Deathstroke but there are a bunch of other characters that you can see in Suicide Squad, which is out in theaters right at this very moment. Also make sure to let us know where you would like to see Slade Wilson pop up in the DCEU in the comments below.
