Can The Deathstroke Movie Gamble Pay Off For DC?

Now that comic book culture is normatively mainstream, a slew of characters are getting their 15 minutes as pop culture icons. One of those is Deathstroke, DC’s merciless assassin extraordinaire Slade Wilson, who has been part of an eventful last few years for the publishing house.

He became a bigger part of the overall DC Universe since the New 52 relaunched everything at the beginning of the decade. Since then, he’s been a major figure on CW’s Arrow (played wonderfully by Manu Bennett), where he was season two’s primary threat. And currently, he is the talk of the DC cinematic extended universe with his own outing on the table.

Joe Manganiello (avowed comic fan and player of Dungeons & Dragons) vied to play Deathstroke and was cast. Initially, he was slated to appear as the villain in the beleaguered The Batman. As fluctuating as everything is with that production, plans ultimately changed. Nevertheless, Slade is introduced (spoiler) at the tail end of Justice League to meet with Lex Luthor. A photo also surfaced online of Manganiello in a full Deathstroke get-up (so don’t shoot the messenger here).

Exciting as it is, this left turn and Warner’s transparency about it comes as a surprise. Amongst all the production woes and A-list heroes in the DC pantheon who have yet to shine, spotlighting Deathstroke looks like an impulsive gamble. But, in reality, it makes perfect sense and presents a golden opportunity – the likes of which presented itself unexpectedly in the case of Wonder Woman – and also hints at the studio’s mindset.

Warner Bros. and DC, like it or not, have to face reality and adjust accordingly. Justice League is flailing in the wind and may not be what they hoped, due somewhat to quality. But the film was done a greater blow by reception and word of mouth. Reshoots, rewrites, and touch-ups in post were no secret. And the bad taste from Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad still lingers.

Then there is Wonder Woman, a smash hit that broke all sorts of records, and was so well-received it is unquestionably the best of the DCEU films so far. More importantly, it was a solo movie with a more condensed cast and a straightforward story which established characters and fleshed out the universe. (You know, that thing Marvel does so well.)

DC finally got it – too late, of course – but will likely return to Wonder Man’s winning formula. The universe may be a mess but after all the money that’s been poured into making viable franchises over the years, and all the stops and false starts, their only recourse is full speed ahead. A full reset is out of the question; it would reek of desperation and ill resolve. They will more than likely settle for hitting rewind a bit, acting when they can like certain things didn’t happen.

The thing to do is make the best movies they possibly can and wait for the tide to turn. Patience, grasshopper, the shed maybe dilapidated but it’s still standing and can be patched up. All that matters is the bottom line and pleasing the fanbase.

Enter Deathstroke, who can give everyone what they’re looking for. He’s a cult favorite, cult favorites are breaking big all over the place from Deadpool to Rocket and Groot. Slade is one who has been waiting to break out and comic geeks know he is a good hand to play.

Perfect candidate for an R rating, if DC wants to go that way, he’d be on par with Deadpool and Wolverine as far as action and bloody, squishy goodness. He might drop a few quips along the way too. His presence also opens the door for Green Arrow, Slade’s son, his butler Wintergreen, and others to show up at a later date.

Even more crucial, again, the most important thing is Deathstroke can bring DC movies back to that sweet spot: small stories that develop one main character and (potentially) set things up for a big event.

The fully loaded cast boasting scant build behind it was one thing that made Dawn of Justice a mess. In Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins kept things focused, with room for Easter eggs and universe layering. And they left her alone to channel a vision that remained intact.

If WB and DC can do those two things – keep it simple and don’t interfere – they will have another hit on their hands and the ship will hopefully be steered in the right direction.

We’ve seen the opposite occur before with the Superman and Batman franchises: too many cooks, too many characters, too many movies, too many canceled projects – one after another. It’s nothing new. Odds are we will not see that happen with Deathstroke, and pop culture at large will exalt yet another thing from comics.