Summary
- Deathstroke has been teased to join the DC Universe.
- Slade Wilson’s best possible DCU debut would be in the reported Teen Titans movie.
- Deathstroke could also appear in projects like Peacemaker season 2, Arkham Asylum, and more.
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Deathstroke has been teased to join James Gunn’s DC Universe, and the villain would make for a great addition to multiple movies and TV series in the franchise. Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, is one of DC’s most intriguing villains. He can go toe to toe with excellent hand-to-hand fighters like Batman and has been a threat to multiple DC teams over the years. That makes Deathstroke an exciting character for the upcoming DC projects.
Deathstroke has appeared a few times in live-action, with roles in TV series like Arrow and Titans. On the movie side, Joe Manganiello played Deathstroke in the DCEU. However, the actor barely appeared as Slade Wilson. Recently, James Gunn teased that Deathstroke would appear in the DCU, and the villain would be a great fit for many announced DCU movies and series — and a possible future project.
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8 Waller
A New Team Could Rise
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Waller (DCU)
Waller is a DC Universe series that sees the return of Viola Davis as her DCEU role of Suicide Squad creator Amanda Waller.
Cast Viola Davis , Danielle Brooks , Steve Agee Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) HBO Max Creator(s) Jeremy Carver , Christal Henry
Only a few actors have survived the jump from the old DCEU to the new DC Universe. Among the lucky few is Viola Davis, who will not only reprise her role as Amanda Waller in the DCU but also get a project all to herself. DC’s Waller series would make for a great place to have Deathstroke debut. While the character is not really fond of being part of a team, Waller could have some dirt on Slade or strike a deal with him.
It remains to be seen how much of Gunn’s The Suicide Squad will move over to the DCU, but given how central the movie is to Peacemaker and Waller’s connection to the character, the DCEU film could also affect her series. Waller could focus on Amanda assembling a new team to hunt down the rogue members of the Suicide Squad who defied her orders at the end of the movie in order to defeat Starro, and Deathstroke could be the leader of that new team.
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7 Peacemaker Season 2
Peacemaker Vs Deathstroke
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Peacemaker
John Cena stars as Christopher Smith, AKA the titular Peacemaker in James Gunn’s spin-off/sequel TV series to The Suicide Squad. Set after the film’s events, Peacemaker follows the misguided hero with a vanity complex but believes in peace, no matter how large the body count he has to rack up to get it. Having survived his mission in the Suicide Squad (Aka Task Force X), he’s been enlisted again to join a new team and save the world. With his blade eagle sidekick, Eagly, Peacemaker will embark on a misguided quest for peace as he fights to do the right thing – as wrongly as possible.
Cast Steve Agee , Christopher Heyerdahl , Jennifer Holland , Annie Chang , John Cena , Chukwudi Iwuji , Danielle Brooks , Robert Patrick , Lochlyn Munro , Chris Conrad Release Date January 13, 2022 Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) HBO Max , Amazon Prime Video Showrunner James Gunn
After an explosive debut year, John Cena will be back for Peacemaker season 2. All the main cast members whose characters were still alive by the end of season 1 will also return for the new entry. Peacemaker and Deathstroke almost crossed paths in the DCEU, as Slade Wilson was at one point considered to be part of Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Peacemaker season 2 could finally make that happen. It has already been revealed that Peacemaker season 2 will see Cena’s Christopher Smith go up against Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. due to killing his son.
Peacemaker season 2 will mark the biggest crossover of sorts between the DCEU and the DCU, as season 1 of the show was set in the previous universe. To cement Cena’s role in the new franchise, the series could see multiple DCU players guest star, similar to how Grillo’s character will move from the animated Creature Commandos to live-action for Peacemaker season 2, and Deathstroke would perfectly fit the TV-MA bloody action of Peacemaker.
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6 Creature Commandos
Deathstroke Could Debut In Animation
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Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos will be the first project in the new DC Universe. An adult animated series written and directed by James Gunn.
Cast Frank Grillo , Maria Bakalova , Indira Varma , Zoe Chao , Alan Tudyk , David Harbour , Sean Gunn , Steve Agee Seasons 1 Creator(s) James Gunn
Creature Commandos is one of the most exciting DC projects in years, as it fuses one of DC’s biggest strengths — animation — with the creative mastermind of the DCU. The adult animated series — a first for DC’s shared universes — will serve as the first project in the DC Universe, effectively opening the new chapter of the franchise when it arrives on Max later this year. Gunn is directly involved with the TV show, serving as the main director of the series and writing all episodes of the first DCU project.
Creature Commandos could be a surprise project for the DCU in the sense that it kickstarts many possible franchises and characters. Aside from the main team of characters confirmed for the show, Creature Commandos will feature The Witcher‘s Anya Chalotra as the Wonder Woman villain Circe. The animated series could be used to introduce players from different corners of the DCU, and Deathstroke would not only fit the series’ violent tone, but also be a character who can appear across many DCU projects after debuting in the show.
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5 Superman
The DCU’s First Movie Is Doing A Lot Of World-Building
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Superman (2025)
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.’ rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”
Director James Gunn Release Date July 11, 2025 Writers James Gunn Cast David Corenswet , Rachel Brosnahan , María Gabriela De Faría
David Corenswet is the Superman of the new DC Universe, replacing Henry Cavill in the role. After months of filming, Gunn recently unveiled the first look at Corenswet’s Superman costume, raising more questions about what to expect from the first DCU movie. While Deathstroke might not seem like the logical first choice for a Superman film, the character could very well be one of the many DCU players to feature in Gunn’s Superman. After all, the movie is doing a lot of world-building.
Besides Corenswet’s Clark Kent, 2025’s Superman will include a star-studded cast that features Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor and multiple DCU heroes. Like its many heroes, Superman could also include other villains beyond Lex. Taking a page from the animated My Adventures with Superman, the DCU movie could see Slade Wilson and the Man of Steel trade blows. Deathstroke could be part of a larger DCU story that begins in Superman, perhaps related to collecting Kryptonite or information on heroes for Amanda Waller or another mysterious figure.
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4 Teen Titans
The Perfect DCU Project For Deathstroke
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Teen Titans (DCU)
The Teen Titans movie is being written by Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow writer Ana Nogueira. The film introduces a team of young heroes who should have a long journey in the DCU.
Writers Ana Noguiera Franchise(s) DC Universe
There is no other project in the DCU better for Deathstroke to debut in than the upcoming Teen Titans movie. The team has yet to make it to the big screen, though DC’s Titans series brought a version of the superhero squad to the small screen over four controversial seasons. While Deathstroke has gone up against many DC heroes in the comics, Slade Wilson is undoubtedly a Teen Titans villain first and foremost. As such, he would be perfect to serve as an overarching foe to the team in the DCU.
Deathstroke could first appear in the shadows in the first Teen Titans movie, similar to how he was handled in the classic 2003 Teen Titans animated series. If the Teen Titans have more than one film — preferably a trilogy — Deathstroke’s role could grow with each installment. That could all lead to a live-action movie adaptation of Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, which would make for a major entry in the DCU. Deathstroke could also venture out from Teen Titans to solo projects for some members, like a possible Nightwing movie.
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3 The Brave And The Bold
Batman And Deathstroke Can Finally Fight In A Movie
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The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold is the first Batman movie in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe, which reboots the Dark Knight after Ben Affleck’s take on the character. It introduces Bruce Wayne’s son, the Robin Damian Wayne, and draws inspiration from Grant Morrison’s work on the comic book character.
Director Andy Muschietti Franchise(s) DC Universe
Another likely project for Deathstroke to appear in is the DCU’s Batman reboot. After Ben Affleck gave life to the Dark Knight in the DCEU, a new actor will take on the role of Bruce Wayne in Batman’s The Brave and the Bold movie. For now, the only revealed aspects of the film are that Damian Wayne will be introduced, with his bond with Bruce being the central focus of the film, and that other members of the Bat-Family will appear.
Given how The Brave and the Bold will spotlight the relationship between Bruce and his son Damian for the first time in live-action, it is likely that Ra’s al Ghul will serve as its main villain. That said, Deathstroke and other famous members of Batman’s long rogues gallery could also play a role in the movie. Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke was meant to have a major role in Affleck’s canceled Batman movie, and the upcoming DCU reboot of the Dark Knight could make up for that lost project, though with different actors fighting as Batman and Deathstroke.
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2 Arkham Asylum
The Batman’s Matt Reeves Leads
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Arkham Asylum
Developed by The Batman director Matt Reeves, the DCU’s Arkham Asylum series could potentially introduce many Batman villains to the franchise.
Seasons 1 Creator(s) Antonio Campos , Matt Reeves
Initially thought to be connected to The Batman universe, DC’s upcoming Arkham Asylum series will be part of the DCU. The project is being developed by The Batman director Matt Reeves, and Arkham Asylum would make for an interesting project for Deathstroke to appear in. The Brave and the Bold could be more focused on Damian and the al Ghuls, leaving Arkham Asylum the job of setting up Gotham City’s many villains for future projects for Batman and the DCU’s Bat-Family.
Deathstroke could factor into the show in two very different ways. Either Slade Wilson appears as one of the inmates at Arkham, potentially teaming up with Batman villains to break out, or the character could be part of a team breaking into the facility. The series could do a version of the Batman: Assault on Arkham animated movie, with Deathstroke part of the DCU’s Suicide Squad or another team of villains that break into Arkham to either defuse a situation or extract an inmate, leading to a major event series.
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1 Suicide Squad Reboot
Still To Be Announced
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Finally, a reboot movie for the Suicide Squad could be the way the DCU gets its Deathstroke. Gunn previously considered including Slade Wilson as part of the main team of 2021’s The Suicide Squad alongside Peacemaker, Harley Quinn, and others. While that never happened, there is a lot of potential for Deathstroke as the field leader of the Suicide Squad in the DCU. Given how the team abandoned its mission and turned its back on Amanda Waller, Viola Davis’ character could be looking for a new Suicide Squad.
A couple of members could be assembled in the announced Waller series, with the team fully coming together in a Suicide Squad movie. Deathstroke and other DC villains could then hunt down Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Ratcatcher 2, and the rest of the surviving Suicide Squad members. Deathstroke is a major villain who could be a pillar of the team in the DCU, with the Suicide Squad playing a role in multiple projects. Slade Wilson has been part of a few versions of the Suicide Squad, so a new move for the team would be fitting for Deathstroke’s DCU debut.
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Upcoming DC Movies |
Release Date |
|---|---|
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Joker: Folie à Deux |
October 4, 2024 |
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Superman |
July 11, 2025 |
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The Batman – Part II |
October 2, 2026 |