Concept art for Ben Affleck’s scrapped The Batman movie reveals Deathstroke’s upgraded design. The Batman, which debuted in theaters earlier this month to rave reviews and strong box office returns, was initially conceived as a solo outing for Batfleck set in the DC Extended Universe, which the actor would also write and direct. However, Affleck had several reservations about the project and soon dropped out, allowing Matt Reeves to come aboard and rework the story by removing all DCEU connections and focusing on a younger version of the vigilante, casting Robert Pattinson in the role.

Affleck portrayed the DCEU’s Bruce Wayne in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice, 2016’s Suicide Squad, 2017’s Justice League, and the 2021 Snyder Cut. He is set to reprise the role for what is expected to be the final time in 2023’s The Flash alongside Michael Keaton, who is returning in the role. But in the years since Affleck’s solo film fell apart, many details have been unearthed regarding his plans for the project, including that Deathstroke would have been the primary villain (and killed a few famous Batman characters).

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Now, concept art for Affleck’s scrapped Batman movie reveals what Deathstroke would have looked like in the DCEU film. The design was shared by Keith Christensen (who previously worked as a concept artist on Batman v Superman), showing the villain sporting his classic orange and silver mask while wielding dual pistols equipped with silencers. Check out the concept art below:

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As Affleck’s standalone Batman movie was supposed to be set in the DCEU, it would feature several popular characters from throughout the shared universe. Deathstroke as the primary antagonist would have made sense considering Slade Wilson was introduced during Justice League‘s post-credits scene, played by Joe Manganiello, and set to play a significant role in the so-called Snyder-verse. In fact, despite the slightly-upgraded design, this Deathstroke suit doesn’t look too different from the one previously seen in Justice League, including the dual blades affixed to his back.

Besides Deathstroke’s upgraded suit, concept art for the canceled Batman movie has also revealed what Affleck’s batsuit would have looked like in the film, appearing to take inspiration from the video game Arkham Knight. Though this concept art will likely have fans yearning for what could have been, Matt Reeves’s The Batman is an excellent consolation prize. The film has been praised as one of the Caped Crusader’s darkest and most inventive cinematic portrayals, which has benefited from not being weighed down by any DCEU connections.

Source: Keith Christensen/Instagram

Key Release Dates
  • DC League of Super-Pets (2022)Release date: Jul 29, 2022
  • Black Adam (2022)Release date: Oct 21, 2022
  • Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2022)Release date: Dec 16, 2022
  • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)Release date: Mar 17, 2023
  • The Flash (2023)Release date: Jun 23, 2023
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Adam Bentz
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Adam Bentz is a movie and TV news writer for Screen Rant. From a young age, Adam has been interested in a wide range of movies and television, but it was talented auteurs like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Aaron Sorkin who ultimately sparked his interest in the craft. Motivated by his love for the screen, Adam studied creative writing with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University.

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After graduating, Adam interned as a writer with The Borgen Project, a nonprofit organization working to end extreme poverty. Other than writing for Screen Rant, Adam reviews films on his website adambentz.wordpress.com

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