Gunn has once again taken time from his busy schedule to address fan queries about the DC Universe. This time, the director-turned-executive answered questions regarding the supervillain Deathstroke. One fan asked the question after Gunn retweeted Dwayne Johnson’s message to fans regarding the future of Black Adam. The fan asked, “Any plans for Deathstroke in the DCU?” The co-CEO of DC Studios simply replied, “Could be…” Gunn did not expound on his answer. Fans can interpret this statement in several ways including the possibility that the character may be part of the massive recast going on.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 20, 2022 Prior to Gunn and Safran’s appointment to lead the DC Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery had made plans for a Deathstroke solo movie. Deathstroke actor Joe Manganiello revealed that there’s a movie planned for his character. According to Manganiello, the film was “more of a Tom Clancy ripped from the headlines sort of story, or even like a Bourne Identity where it was going to be really grounded, and political with military drama as far as what it would take to go from devoting his life to his country for this life he believed in to, you know, having the rug pulled out from underneath him and being stabbed in the back and not knowing who to trust.” The movie however did not get to the point of having a script written. According to the actor, Warner Bros. did not see it as “a priority to make a $40 million movie about a villain origin story in which you show the backstory.” The supervillain did appear in Justice League and was slated as the antagonist to Ben Affleck’s Batman before his departure from the franchise. Deathstroke was out to ruin Bruce Wayne’s civilian life and his secret life as the Dark Knight. “It was a really dark story in which Deathstroke was like a shark or a horror movie villain that was dismantling Bruce’s life from the inside out,” Manganiello said regarding the plot of the movie. “It was this systemic thing: He killed everyone close to Bruce and destroyed his life to try and make him suffer because he felt that Bruce was responsible for something that happened to him.” Gunn and Safran have yet to reveal a concrete roadmap for the DC Universe beyond tweets and social media posts. Gunn has previously said that they intend to reveal more about the future of the DCU after the new year. According to the director, the next slate of movies, TV shows, and video games under their watch will begin after the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
