We have some new rumors relating to the Bane and Deathstroke movie, tentatively titled Savage Hunters, that is (was?) in the works at DC Studios, but in light of recent developments, it may already be outdated information!
According to Cartier Films, Ilya Naishuller (Nobody, Hardcore Henry) has been enlisted to direct, and the team-up movie will also feature "multiple DC villains" (Mad Hatter has been rumored) along with an unnamed female character who will join forces with Deathstroke and Bane.
The scooper also reiterated previous reports that Savage Hunters will take place in Salvation (partially, at least), and "lean into a mentor/mentee dynamic, with Slade Wilson in his late 40s and Bane in his late 20s or early 30s."
Filming was believed to be scheduled for next year, but is there any chance this movie still sees the light of day?
Earlier on, the news broke that James Gunn and Peter Safran will no longer serve as co-CEOs of DC Studios, with former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham enlisted to take over. The "Dynamic Duo" are expected to stay "in the fold creatively" for the time being, but beyond the projects that have finished shooting or are in production - Man of Tomorrow and The People Vs. Gorilla Grodd, basically - it seems highly unlikely that any movies or shows on the DCU slate that haven't already been given the greenlight will move forward.
Then again, Gunn did say that he has "been engaged on another DC project which I’m writing, and we’ll see where it goes after that. And, of course, the characters we set up will live on," as part of his statement, and there's always a chance Savage Hunters had already been given the go-ahead.
There have been whispers that this is the mysterious DCU project Glen Powell has been speaking to the studio about, and a lot of speculation that he may be in line to play Slade Wilson.
According to Jeff Sneider on a recent episode of The Hot Mic, Alan Ritchson was speaking to DC about playing Deathstroke, but talks never progressed. Sneider added that there's a chance it could have been Bane, but we really don't see Gunn and Safran casting another non-Latino actor to play that character.
Former Nexus Point News scooper Apocalyptic Horseman also weighed in. He believes that the role was Ritchson's if he wanted it, but the actor decided to step away because the project has not been officially greenlit and had no director attached.
Both villains have previously appeared on the big screen, with Tom Hardy playing Bane in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, and Joe Manganiello making a (very) brief appearance as ruthless mercenary Deathstroke in the post-credits scene of Joss Whedon's theatrically released Justice League movie.