Possible New Details on Deathstroke’s Role in SUICIDE SQUAD; Main Antagonist Revealed
Suicide Squad will see the big screen debuts of fan-favorite DC characters such as Deadshot and Harley Quinn, as well as new cinematic takes on The Joker and Amanda Waller. However, one popular character who has been rumored to be in the film is Deathstroke. He has yet to be officially cast, but actors such as Joe Manganiello and Jason Clarke have been rumored for the role. And now, a new report reveals some very cool details on Slade Wilson’s presence, as well as who the movie’s primary antagonist is.
[Warning: The Following May Contain Mild Spoilers From Suicide Squad.]
According to Latino-Review’s El Mayimbe, the main villain in Suicide Squad is Antiphon, the leader of the terrorist group Onslaught, which hunts superheroes and supervillains for their own agenda. Antiphon, who has a prosthetic leg, is apparently the role that Ed Harris was rumored/wanted for. An actor should be officially cast soon.
Meanwhile, one ally for Onslaught is none other than Deathstroke. In Suicide Squad, Slade Wilson is a hired assassin who does Onslaught’s “dirty work.” Unlike the comics, Wilson will not have superpowers; this will be a pre-supervillain version of Deathstroke. However, he apparently plays a big role in both major action set pieces. Mayimbe says that Wilson could very well be THE breakout character in Suicide Squad; in his introduction, he takes down the entire Squad by himself. There is also a “running gun battle” that sources are saying is “something else.”
Mayimbe has also received details on Deathstroke’s suit. Wilson’s uniform is stealth-oriented, and they even used a US military tactical outfit for the basis. He uses swords and automatics, and he is heavily armed. Additionally, in concept art, Wilson has both of his eyes. This goes along with his being a pre-supervillain take on the character. And yes, he has his “iconic” mask.
As for who is playing him, it sounds like it is Joe Manganiello’s role to lose. Cinema Blend recently claimed that the actor, who previously worked with writer-director David Ayer on Sabotage, is a lock for Deathstroke. Jason Clarke was also reportedly still in play. However, according to El Mayimbe, the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes star was offered the role months ago, but he turned it down due to a scheduling conflict. Joel Kinnaman also tested for Deathstroke before being cast as Rick Flagg. Finally, it looked like Manganiello had a scheduling conflict too due to the movie Scream Queens, but it looks like he dropped out of that. So, he will “probably” play Slade Wilson.
Some exciting details here, for sure. Hopefully, Warner Bros. will announce the rest of the Suicide Squad cast over the next several weeks. Stay tuned for more as we have it.
Suicide Squad is scheduled to hit theaters August 5th, 2016. The third installment in the DC Cinematic Universe stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Cara Delevingne, Viola Davis and Jared Leto. David Ayer writes and directs.
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