No Deathstroke In The Batman? Put Him In Chris McKay’s Nightwing Then

Allows Deathstroke To Step Out Of The Shadows

While we’ve spoken about the importance of having Slade as a formidable adversary for Nightwing’s clout, we need to look at what it’ll do for the assassin’s profile as well. When you think of Batman villains, the first names that come to mind are the likes of Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Bane and Two-Face – not Deathstroke. And that’s pretty sad.

Slade is what you call a second-tier villain in the average fan’s mind. He’s undeniably lethal and badass, but he isn’t exactly as popular as the rest of rogues’ gallery in the DC universe. Somehow, we also doubt that Reeves would utilize him as the sole antagonist of the film, and he’d probably be something more of a henchman or hired gun for an even bigger baddie. Is that really how you’d like to see him in a Batman movie?

If it’s just him and Dick as the core focus, it’ll be easier to eliminate the distractions of other villains. They could bring out the best in each other while helping to grow their respective profiles amongst the mainstream audiences. It’s a win-win for hero and villain, as well as the movie-going public.