Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Justice League!
Although Slade Wilson has previously appeared in Smallville and in Arrow, Justice League marks the first time that the assassin known as Deathstroke has appeared on the big screen. During the end credits scene of the film, Joe Manganiello makes a cameo as Deathstroke before taking off his mask to reveal that his take on Slade Wilson looks a lot more like his comic book counterpart than the character’s two previous incarnations. On Friday, Manganiello released a picture of himself in costume as Deathstroke without his signature mask.
— Joe Manganiello (@JoeManganiello) November 25, 2017
Back in 1980, Marv Wolfman and George Perez created Deathstroke the Terminator as one of the main adversaries for the Teen Titans. However, the character became so popular that he outgrew the Titans and landed his own comic book series as an antihero. Even during the current DC Rebirth, Deathstroke is headlining his own comic as one of the major players in the DC Universe.
During the production of Justice League, it was heavily rumored that Deathstroke would be the villain of The Batman, opposite Ben Affleck‘s Dark Knight. While Deathstroke is not traditionally one of Batman’s primary enemies, he is one of the few foes who can match Batman physically and mentally. It’s not currently known if Deathstroke will still be in the next Batman film, but his appearance in Justice League indicates that he remains a part of the DC Extended Universe‘s plans.
Lex Luthor’s suggestion that he and Deathstroke form a League of their own also implies that the Injustice League/Secret Society/Legion of Doom could be the Justice League’s next threat. The box office response to Justice League may not have been everything that Warner Bros. hoped for, but we’re still likely to see this story come to fruition.
How do you feel about Manganiello’s take on Deathstroke? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Images: DC Comics/Warner Bros.
Read more stories about DC Comics!
- Aquaman originally had more screen time in Justice League.
- Harley Quinn’s getting an animated series.
- 7 things we learned from Doomsday Clock #1.
