The DC Extended Universe is truly a fascinating place. While the MCU has become a well-oiled machine over the past decade of filmmaking, the DCEU is still very much in its infancy. Projects are both announced and cancelled, directors have fallen, and the overall future of the shared universe is a mystery to the general public. The most recent installment was Justice League, which brought the heroes together, while also uniting Lex Luthor and Deathstoke during its post-credits scene. The latter is played by Joe Manganiello, and was originally slated to make his grand debut in Matt Reeves' Batman movie. Now it looks like Deathstroke is still part of the DCEU, but could have a role in an entirely different franchise.
The latest DC rumors indicate that Joe Manganiello will return to play Deathstroke in the upcoming Suicide Squad sequel. With so much of the DCEU still up in the air, Suicide Squad 2 certainly seems like a logical place for Slade Wilson to pop up. Of course, this would also put him in an ensemble film, rather than paying the main antagonist of a Batman movie.
This new report from Digital Fox is far from a conformation, and its best taken with a grain of salt. That being said, reports of Deathstroke's inclusion in Suicide Squad 2 make a great deal of sense. It's a franchise focused on the DCEU's villains, and it would be easy for Slade Wilson to get apprehended by the Batman, and quickly put into Task Force X by Viola Davis' Amanda Waller.
Additionally, the original Suicide Squad roster was a wash, with only a few villains standing out as interesting characters: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, and Diablo. Perhaps DC is cutting the fat of the squad like Captain Boomerang and Killer Croc, therefore allowing the introduction of more dynamic presences like Deathstroke in the upcoming sequel.
Overall, Joe Manganiello remains committed to bringing Deathstroke to live-action no matter what. But if he had the chance to the main villain of a movie, it would probably be a bigger gig. But it's also unclear exactly what Matt Reeves' Batman movie will focus on, as there have been a ton of rumors swirling int he past few months. One of the recent indicates that the Batman solo flick will feature a bunch of Batman's rogues, which would explain Manganiello's willingness to hop to another franchise.
These types of rumors and new reports show no signs of slowing down, especially since DC continues to provide the public with so very little information. There is no release schedule or public road map, so it's never clear which movies are actually being made, and which have been dropped.
The next installment in the DCEU is James Wan's Aquaman on December 21st, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
