He's the original Terminator... The Deathstroke/Slade Wilson Thread.

He has been a fan favorite in comics, cartoons and live action TV. Will we see Deathstroke on the big screen too? Who should play him? Discuss.

 

I want to see Pitt work with Ayer again for sure and I could see him playing any big role in Squad. But... DeathPitt? C'mon, we already have a cool name. It's like the gods have spoken. Do it Brad!!

 

I don't reflexively hate on Reeves. Used well he's a likable, low key presence in a film... But that's it. I feel he is too often very low key. On the upside, he can sure handle the stunt/action stuff well, and would look good in the suit. I fear, even after WICKE, that he doesn't have project the right mix of menace that Slade requires. But who knows? Maybe he would be good. I wouldn't immediately dismiss it if he were to get the part.

 

But he's old man... He's just old and worn out and not nearly in the shape a modern CBM Deathstoke needs to be. Again... Deathstroke is NOT and old man. The white hair is not from age. It's from the experiment that gave him his powers. Deathstroke is essentially an evil Captain America. He is the product of a U.S. Army experiment that was supposed to give soldiers the ability to resist truth serums. It nearly kills Slade Wilson who is a Special Forces veteran but in truth once he recovers he has enhanced speed, strength, reflexes, mental capabilities and a Wolverine like healing ability. He becomes one of, if not THE, world's top mercenaries for hire. If you have seen the Arkham game trailer with Deathstroke, THAT is how he should move. He is a Captain America in The Winter Soldier type of character. In my eyes, Arnold is too past his prime for such a part. Slade is for sure no youngster, but neither is he some tough guy over the age of 50 or close to 60. He's mid to late 40's at best, though again, he has the body of an Olympic athlete, and moves as such.

 

Yes, in his 1980's days he was a Vietnam vet. Now if we do the math on that he first appeared in the year 1980 the Vietnam conflict was from the 1960's. So Slade could easily have been a man in his mid to late 30's by then IN 1980. Now the problem is of course that in comics there is a huge slow down of the passage of time so things become unclear fast. What we can say for sure is that Slade had a son with his wife Adeline, whom he met in the Army, that was a contemporary of the Titans, Jericho. So again, if Slade is around the age of his wife then we are looking at mid 30's to early 40's the most when he appears for the first time, so not nearly a 50 or 60 year old man.

 

It's nothing to bow down to. It just means I spent WAY too much time at the comic book store I worked in as a wee lad.

As for Slade on film, I really want an actor, regardless of star power, that can be seen as easily doing the same sort of action Cap had in TWS. We should get that kind of Deathstroke. I won't mind star power say a Keanu or a Pitt (at this point, Pitt would be an amazing choice) but there are also some lesser lights I think would own the part. Frankly I think that Jeffery Donavan of Burn Notice fame would kill it as Slade. He has the acting chops and the physicality. Just put the patch on, goatee and dye the hair.

 

That is key. Slade is ruthless. He's hearless. He's the assassin's assassin. There was a time when I think they were softening him up and he does have that whole, "I am a man of my word" thing going on, but he's at his best when he is a stone cold killer.

 

Sean is in the same category as Keifer Sutherland for me. They certainly can do the part, but are very close to being to old to where getting into shape for the part would be a struggle, but not impossible. Keifer would certainly do the cold hearted part of Slade justice, as could Bean. Hopefully Slade keeps the mask on for big action scenes and we get a good stunt man with CGI assists for the crazy action if you go for a Bean/Sutherland type.

 

Stevenson would fill the "badass" quotient and he could get into believable shape. Would he want to play his third CBM character though? The genre hasn't been too kind to him. His Punisher film was.... sub-optimal to me. And he's (along with the rest of the Warriors 3 actors and Alexander as Sif) been criminally under used in the Thor franchise.

But he's not too old looking, and he's got a great on screen vibe no matter the role. I wouldn't complain too loud.

 

Lang is 62, so how old would he be and what sort of shape could he get in if Slade as a character is going to be appearing in the DCCU for the long haul, say more than 8 years? Bean is younger, and I love him to death, so my question is could he get into the shape that a Deathstroke needs to be in?