James Tisch August 29th, 2016 - 2:56 PM
Ben Affleck‘s upcoming standalone Batman film – now dubbed The Batman – may still have a long time to hit theaters (as of now, Warner Bros. hasn’t set a release date, production schedule or any detailed synopsis) but some major news sprung today. It appears, from an exclusive by The Wrap, that the central villain of the film will be Deathstroke aka Slade Wilson.
The first clue came Monday morning when Ben Affleck posted a video on Twitter that appears to be early test footage of the villain, with The Wrap offering reporting that an unnamed person involved with the film providing confirmation. Deathstroke, a lethal assassin, first appear in DC Comics back in 1980 – created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez – and has proved a fan favorite.
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) August 29, 2016
Earlier clues that Deathstroke might be garnering his screen debut came about when Marc Guggenheim, creator of the CW television Arrow, commented on the character’s removal from the DC television universe. Guggenheim said, “The character of Slade Wilson is currently tied up in another DC project.”
Affleck will star and direct The Batman, which would follow his turns as the Caped Crusader in this spring’s Batman v Superman, the current Suicide Squad and the upcoming Justice League features. The busy two-time Oscar winner also has another directorial entry – Live By Night – hitting theaters early next year and is attached to star and direct Witness for the Prosecution. We will stay tuned to the latest developments regarding The Batman as they become available.
