In September 2024, the news broke that DC Studios was developing a Deathstroke & Bane team-up movie from Captain America: Brave New World and Moon Knight writer Matthew Orton.
For fans of the iconic villains, it was considered an exciting development. We haven't heard much about the project since, though some fans argued at the time that it was a little odd for James Gunn and Peter Safran to seemingly prioritise those two over the likes of Batman and Wonder Woman.
While The Brave and the Bold remains in limbo, a Wonder Woman movie is being fast-tracked, so that's something. As for Deathstroke & Bane, Deadline has just shared a huge update on where things stand with this unlikely pairing.
According to the trade, Greg Mottola is the current frontrunner to helm the movie. Others are in the mix, but it's still early days for the project. DC Studios doesn't even have a script at this stage, "and no contracts have been papered yet as the project continues to remain in development."
Mottola is no stranger to the DCU, having helmed the second and third episodes ("A Man Is Only as Good as His Bird" and "Another Rick Up My Sleeve") of Peacemaker Season 2 for HBO Max. He's also an executive producer and director on Peacock's The Miniature Wife, and counts Adventureland, Superbad, and The Daytrippers among his credits.
Two years ago, it was suggested that Deathstroke and Bane may not necessarily be the movie's leads. While some posited that they might be the lead villains in the Teen Titans feature we know Supergirl and Wonder Woman scribe Ana Nogueira briefly worked on, Secret Six was also thrown around as a likely possibility.
In the 2010s, Joe Manganiello's version of Slade was being lined up for a huge role in the DCEU. The villain was set to learn Batman's secret identity in Justice League's post-credits scene—courtesy of Lex Luthor—setting the stage for him to hunt down Bruce Wayne in the pre-Robert Pattinson version of The Batman.
That all changed when Ben Affleck decided not to direct and star in the movie, leading to Joss Whedon's Justice League showing Slade Wilson being enlisted in Luthor's "Injustice Society" instead. Despite the change, there were eventually rumblings about a Deathstroke spin-off helmed by The Raid's Gareth Evans.
Manganiello suited up as Deathstroke for a handful of Knightmare sequences in Zack Snyder's Justice League. However, while he's repeatedly expressed an interest in reprising the role in the new DCU several times, the actor has confirmed the door is closed on any sort of return.
Bane was born in the fictional Caribbean prison of Peña Duro, where he was forced to serve a life sentence from birth. Using a drug called Venom to enhance his physical power, his most iconic feat came when he "broke the Bat."
Deathstroke, a.k.a. Slade Wilson, is a highly skilled mercenary and assassin who gained enhanced strength, agility, and intelligence through a government experiment. Known for his tactical genius and expert combat skills, he's targeted many heroes over the years, including Batman and the Teen Titans.
Stay tuned for updates on Deathstroke & Bane as we have them.