Say what you will about DC and Warner Bros, you can’t deny they have a knack for eye-catching marketing. Without any prior warning, actor Ben Affleck posted a short clip on Twitter and Instagram on Monday that promptly set the internet aflame with speculation.
The 27-second clip has confirmed - and we have to take this at face value and not as an elaborate hoax - that famed DC villain Deathstroke will be making an appearance in the upcoming Justice League film.
Why Justice League and not the solo Batman movie, you ask?
Affleck’s post on Deathstroke promptly set the internet aflame with speculation. (Pinterest)
Two things: The footage looks like it’s more than just a costume test. And since Justice League is the only DC film currently filming, it can’t be Affleck’s solo Batman movie, which hasn’t even been dated yet.
{{/usCountry}}Two things: The footage looks like it’s more than just a costume test. And since Justice League is the only DC film currently filming, it can’t be Affleck’s solo Batman movie, which hasn’t even been dated yet.
{{/usCountry}}Deathstroke, a mercenary and assassin, has been rumoured on and off to be making his DC debut, with some even being bold enough to suggest casting Affleck’s longtime friend and fellow Oscar-winner Matt Damon in the role.
The character also has a history with Green Arrow in the comics, having appeared in Arrow, the popular TV series. He was also a supporting villain in the Batman: Arkham Origins video game.
No matter how closely you look - and there is no doubt that this footage will be dissected in the days to come - you can’t tell who the actor behind the mask is. So until we get more concrete news, we must applaud Warner Bros for having steered the conversation once more in the direction of their DC movies.
Can’t make sense of Affleck’s cryptic video from the set of Justice League? You’re not alone. Sample these fan reactions on Twitter: