For the longest time, Deathstroke was a rather obscure DC character. But, thanks in large part to Arrow, the world’s deadliest mercenary permeated the mainstream, with appearances in video games such as Batman: Arkham Origins and animated films like Son of Batman also doing wonders to help his cause.
Much to our delight, Slade Wilson’s future is looking brighter than ever now, as the character recently appeared in a post-credits scene for Justice League, in addition to Warner Bros. kicking around the idea for a solo film. We still don’t know much about what the studio has planned for the fan favorite antihero, but a few weeks ago, director Gareth Evans, who’s helming the spinoff, took to Instagram to share his copy of Gods of War, Tony S. Daniel and Sandu Florea’s Deathstroke comic series that spanned from 2014 to 2016.
It’s a story fuelled by revenge (surprise!), as Slade Wilson journeys across the four corners of Gotham to locate his father Odysseus. Along the way, Deathstroke encounters a number of high-profile DC characters, including Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller, and the billionaire-by-day, vigilante-by-night known as Batman. Sounds like some juicy material that’s just ripe for adaptation, and while we still have a ways to go before we learn more, the first official photo of Joe Manganiello in character has surfaced today and can be seen below.
Yes, this shot is pulled from the post-credits scene of Justice League, but it’s still the first pic to make its way online that shows us Deathstroke in all his glory. We’ve seen a few behind the scenes images and some blurry screenshots, but this is undoubtedly out best look yet and though it’ll be familiar to anyone who’s already seen the film, it’s still much appreciated, as fans really seem to be digging what WB’s done with the character in terms of his appearance.
Without a concrete start date or release window to call its own, Deathstroke is still an awful long way away. But honestly, that’s okay. We’d much rather Warner Bros. take its time with Slade Wilson’s standalone movie, rather than fast-tracking a villain-centric spinoff just to capitalize on all the hype. After all, we’ve seen how that kind of mentality can lead to problems in the past, right?
