



Deathstroke has kind of, sort of, been confirmed as the lead villain in Ben Affleck and Geoff Johns' upcoming Batman movie, but that can't be it, right? While there's no denying that Slade "The Terminator" Wilson is a great character with a ton of potential (just look at what Arrow did with him), can he really carry an entire movie alone? Possibly, but it would be better if he's hired by someone!



There are a number of Batman villains who might want to send an assassin like Deathstroke after Bruce Wayne and/or Batman, but who are the most likely candidates? Looking at what we know about the movie, past rumours, and general speculation, what you'll find here is a look at the eight characters with the biggest axe to grind with the Caped Crusader who might just end up employing Slade...



8. Hush



Thomas Elliot was a renowned surgeon and childhood friend of Bruce Wayne who developed a hatred for him after Thomas Wayne (a returning Jeffrey Dean Morgan in flashbacks?) inadvertently thwarted his plan to kill his parents and receive his inheritance early. Years later, Elliot discovered Batman's secret identity, and assuming the identity of criminal mastermind Hush, he set out to destroy him.



He came pretty close too, and if this movie were to loosely adapt the storyline he was introduced in, we could get to see an epic line-up of villains promised by early rumours that the release was going to take place entirely in Arkham Asylum. Regardless of who else shows up though, Hush sending an assassin like Deathstroke after Batman makes perfect sense, and the dynamic between all three of these characters would be fascinating to see explored on the big screen as they come to blows.



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7. Lex Luthor



The prospect of Lex Luthor becoming a Batman villain feels really weird, but Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice established him as a foe of the Dark Knight's whether you like it or not! Storyboards teased by Zack Snyder point to Luthor hiring Deathstroke in Justice League, so even if he doesn't factor into The Batman, it's entirely possible that he's the one who puts Slade Wilson on the Caped Crusader's tail as revenge for him being sent to Arkham Asylum.



Lex factoring into the hero's solo outing would be a little odd as he really should be saved for the now confirmed Man of Steel sequel, but that too could happen depending on exactly how closely tied the bald villain ends up being tied to Deathstroke in Justice League. Regardless of what the future holds in store for Luthor though, him being the one who initally hires the assassin does make a lot of sense, so don't be surprised to see these two sharing the screen.



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6. The Penguin



The Penguin is a character who definitely deserves to be brought back to the big screen, and having him be revealed as a mastermind plotting against Batman in his movie would be very cool. Many fans have wondered why Batman: Earth One was among the comic books sent to Joe Manganiello (aside from the fact that it was written by Geoff Johns), but a new take on Oswald Cobblepot heavily factors into that tale, so The Batman going down a similar route would work really well.



After all, if Bruce Wayne and Cobblepot clash at some point, him sending The Terminator after the billionaire - only for the Caped Crusader to obviously intervene - might make a lot of sense and potentially sets up The Penguin as a big bad of this and future movies starring Batman. It ultimately depends on where in his criminal career we end up picking up with the villain here, but The Penguin definitely deserves another chance to shine.



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5. Bane



Is it too soon to bring back Bane? He was after all the main villain in The Dark Knight Rises, but if Affleck and Johns really embrace the source material and deliver a version of the character who is larger than life and powered up by Venom, any comparisons would be quickly forgotten (especially if this Bane is much easier to understand).



Despite his brutish nature, the villain has often been portrayed as a mastermind of sorts, and while he doesn't exactly need to hire muscle like Deathstroke, he could very well just use the assassin as a distraction of sorts as he makes a move against Gotham City and potentially opens the door to some sort of adaptation of No Man's Land. As good as that sounds, similarities to the last Batman movie could be an issue here, but a more comic book faithful Bane is definitely something it would be fun to see on the big screen as would his sure to be unique relationship with Slade. Back Next

4. The Joker



The mixed response to Jared Leto's take on The Joker may have closed the door to him being the lead villain in The Batman, but the Clown Prince of Crime should definitely still make his presence felt here. This movie not addressing the fact that he killed Robin and is now on the loose with Harley Quinn would be ridiculous, and it feels like these two having some sort of encounter is an inevitability.



Of course, Warner Bros. may want to take a slow burn approach to their inevitable confrontation, so The Joker hiring Deathstroke in the meantime to try and get some revenge of Batman for imprisoning Harley would make sense. Whether or not Leto would be open to what would essentially be just another cameo is hard to say, but him hiring Slade Wilson opens the door to a lot of different storytelling opportunities both in this and future releases. Don't forget that there are also rumours of him appearing in Justice League.



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3. Black Mask



Roman Sionis is a ruthless mob boss whose sole goal is to become the supreme leader of the Gotham criminal underworld. Possessing an extreme hatred for Bruce Wayne, and a sadistic talent for torturing his victims, Black Mask is one of Batman's most dangerous adversaries, and him attempting to take over the city in this movie could make for a great storyline.



He is after all quite a bit different to the villains we've previously seen in live-action, but to rule over Gotham, he'll need someone formidable by his side, and who better than Deathstroke? Black Mask isn't exactly a physical threat to Batman, so him having a hired gun like Slade under his control would work perfectly and gives the Caped Crusader someone to fight in some sure to be amazing sequences. Who knows, if Deadshot managed to escape from Belle Reve, he too could return to Gotham work for Black Mask...or maybe with Batman!

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2. Poison Ivy



Of all the characters you have and expected to see here, I'm willing to bet Poison Ivy wasn't among them. After all, she has very few ties with Deathstroke in the comic books and isn't really the type to hire someone like him to do her dirty work. However, given Ivy's penchant for manipulating men into doing her bidding, making her the big bad of The Batman with Deathstroke at her side has a ton of potential.



A female lead villain would be something new not just for this franchise, but pretty much superhero movies in general, and throwing Slade Wilson into the mix gives the Dark Knight someone to fight as she pulls the strings in the background and attempts to take over Gotham City. If it is ultimately revealed that Deathstroke is under her control, he could finish this movie in his anti-hero status, something which would make the character getting his own spinoff a more likely possibility in the near future.



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