There is Only One Perfect Actor to Play Deathstroke In the DCU

Despite being arguably Batman’s most feared villain, Deathstroke has had—at most—a modest live-action outing, with only a big screen debut to boast of. Fans were robbed of a duel between the Soldier of Fortune and the Dark Knight following the scrapping of the DC Extended Universe and eagerly await his revival in James Gunn’s newly-launched DC Universe. Thankfully for anyone in love with the character, Gunn recently confirmed that plans are underway for Slade Wilson’s introduction to the DCU.

Given that Joe Manganiello, who played Deathstroke in the post-credits scene of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, is unlikely to reprise his role in the DCU, fans have speculated who the next Slade Wilson would be. A-list actors such as Scott Adkins, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Keanu Reeves have all emerged as fan favorites, but only one has the requisite combination of intimidating presence, martial arts experience, and brutality to do the character justice: Gerard Butler. The 55-year-old’s age may be the only deterring factor in an otherwise perfect casting, but even that can be arranged. Besides, his superhero/villain debut is long overdue.

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A Deathstroke Actor Must Embody the Character’s Commanding Presence

Ruthless, relentless, and with an insatiable taste for revenge, Deathstroke’s reputation as DC’s most fearsome assassin precedes him. He rocks feats that many wouldn’t even dare to dream of (he once made Superman bleed) and his martial arts and tactical superiority puts Batman to shame. Yet, his physical and mental prowess arguably play second fiddle to his cold and menacing aura. Few comic book antiheroes can command the moment like Deathstroke; the number’s even fewer for Batman villains.

The DCU needs an actor to play Deathstroke in such a way that would make Batman tremble in his boots—think Tom Hardy’s Bane but with extra steroids and a bone-slicing sword—a need that turns into a necessity if the planned Batman: The Brave and The Bold ever features the Bat-family. Titans’ Esai Morales is the closest anyone has come to this description. As the white-haired, one-eye-patched lethal assassin and family man, Morales mopped the floor with the Titans, but his version still came short of what many would consider the “perfect” Deathstroke. Yes, an R-rated Deathstroke movie would be nothing without emotional complexity, depth, and the character’s very tragic backstory, but there is little doubt that his brutality and commanding presence would be among the main selling points. That was a key ingredient of Josh Brolin’s big baddie, Thanos—a presence so commanding and intimidating that it permeates the screen.

Gerard Butler Has a Resume Worthy of the Role

Gerard Butler checks all the boxes needed to fulfill the ultimate dream of Deathstroke fans. The Scottish actor has the requisite physique, martial arts experience, and on-screen ruthlessness—all of which he honed in films like Has Fallen movies and Gods of Egypt—to get the job done. And that’s without his imposing presence. Anyone with even the faintest memory of Leonidas in the sword-and-sandal epic, 300, would be familiar with what happens when Butler is handed a sword and some abs, topped with unfavorable odds and a cooked script. Plus, he has a distinct gruff voice for good measure, one which would make him just as great at voicing the character in animation.

A villain of Deathstroke’s caliber deserves nothing less than the Deadpool and Venom treatment, which would allow him to thrive in his own origin story. Fortunately, Butler has what it takes to draw audiences to a Deathstroke solo movie. Nothing would likely be more exciting to DC fans—and even non-DC fans—than an R-rated soldier-themed action thriller starring Gerard Butler. If his debut is to be in the unnamed Bane and Deathstroke movie in development at DC Studios, who better than Butler to rival the infamy that comes with the man who broke the bat?

It goes without saying that star power alone is insufficient to bring in the box office goods; hence a billionaire outing for such a movie is not guaranteed, even if a director like James Cameron is at the helm. And for all the talk of star power, Gerard Butler is no Ryan Reynolds or Tom Hardy. Still, the combination of a great script, filmmaker and Butler is a match made in heaven for the character and trumps most, if not all, alternatives.

Age Might Be a Hurdle, but It Can Still Work

In the comics and even in previous live-action iterations, Deathstroke is a battle-scarred soldier in his late 40s or 50s; thus Gerard Butler’s age of 55 shouldn’t ordinarily be a problem. For a budding franchise such as the DC Universe, however, it is. Batman: The Brave and Bold, the movie with the clearest potential for a Deathstroke debut in the near term, would realistically be released no earlier than 2027. By then, Butler would be closer to 60 years old by the time audiences see him in action. Since Deathstroke is a recurring Batman villain, and one too strategic to be killed off in one movie or two, James Gunn would likely want one who’s in for the long haul.

However, age has never been a problem with Hollywood casting directors when the casting is golden perfect. More than once, scripts have been written to fit the actor rather than vice versa, and Gerard Butler would not be a wild exception. While that may be too much to ask, for Gunn, who cast 59-year-old Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in the upcoming HBO Green Lantern series, it most likely wouldn’t be.

Of course, all of this sits on the premise that Batman: The Brave and the Bold is what introduces the DCU’s first Deathstroke. If Gunn favors other lesser-known Batman villains—which would not be unthinkable given the filmmaker’s history—then Gerard Butler might be no closer to donning the signature eye patch and yellow-black mask than Joe Manganiello.

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