Here’s Why The Batman Doesn’t Need Deathstroke

To say The Batman has suffered its fair share of production turmoil would be putting it mildly. The latest blow comes after Joe Manganiello failed to confirm his involvement as Deathstroke in the film, after having spent the past few months hyping it up. His non-committal response could be nothing - or it could mean a lot - but it does leave us with more questions than answers, once again. There was a genuine excitement when the mercenary was teased as The Batman's villain. He's undeniably the one character that can match the Caped Crusader's fighting and intellectual prowess, so he's a logical choice as an adversary for Ben Affleck's hero. However, considering the solo film is purported to arrive in 2019 just in time to commemorate Tim Burton's Batman's 30-year anniversary, would the assassin be at the top of your list of antagonists? Perhaps he'd be better off appearing in another DCEU movie? Like, say, Nightwing? Read on to find out whether or not we think Deathstroke is really necessary for The Batman. The Curious Case Of The Joker Put away your pitchforks, girls and boys. If we're celebrating an anniversary, no Bat-themed party is complete without the Joker. Obviously, Jared Leto's Clown Prince of Crime has been divisive, but it's unfair to judge him based on less than 10 minutes of screen time. Let's give him a proper starring role, with strong direction and a decent script, and then make our minds up about Mr. J(uggalo). Hey, if he sucks, maybe we can imagine it was just Clayface pretending to be the Joker. There was a rumor doing the rounds that Affleck and Geoff Johns' script involved the Joker hiring Slade Wilson to take down the Bat. If that's true, it’ll make more sense than having Deathstroke as the sole enemy. But what about dead Robin angle and how will it fit into this film? It was teased in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, so surely it should be at the top of the Bat agenda, right? And how does the assassin fit into this? It already sounds confusing just thinking about it. Remembering Manu Bennett’s Slade Wilson Manu Bennett's turn as Slade in Arrow is a tough act to follow. Considering there hasn't been a villain since then who's challenged Oliver Queen in quite the same way he did, speaks volumes of his performance. Bennett captured all the facets and dynamics of the assassin's harrowing personality, delivering a quintessential portrayal. For many, he's the only live-action Deathstroke they'll ever acknowledge. Manganiello is no slouch. Even though he's not quite A-list material yet, he's built up a good name for himself in Hollywood with decent performances. His biggest stumbling block, however, might be finding another reference point for the character that'll improve on what Bennett did. Can it be done? I’m not so sure. 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.