DC Studios’ Bane and Deathstroke movie is still alive, but it sounds like fans should not expect cameras to roll anytime soon.
Deadline reports that Greg Mottola is a front-runner to potentially direct the untitled Deathstroke and Bane movie. Mottola is already in the DC Studios mix after directing episodes of Peacemaker, and he’s directed Superbad and episodes of Dave and The Newsroom.
The outlet notes there are other directors in the mix, no contracts have been signed, and a script has not been turned in yet. So the project remains in development at DC Studios.
Bane And Deathstroke Movie Was First Reported In 2024
The Bane and Deathstroke movie first surfaced in September 2024 under the James Gunn and Peter Safran-led DC Studios.
As previously covered, Matthew Orton was reported to be developing the screenplay. Orton wrote for Marvel’s Moon Knight and also has a writing credit on Captain America: Brave New World.
At the time, the exact plot was unclear. It was also not clear if Bane and Deathstroke would be the central figures of the movie or part of a larger villain story.
That still remains the big question.
Bane Returns After The Dark Knight Rises
The movie would bring Bane back to the big screen for the first time since The Dark Knight Rises in 2012.
Tom Hardy played the Batman villain in Christopher Nolan’s film. In the comics, Bane is best known as the villain who broke Batman’s back.
Bane was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan, first appearing in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 in January 1993.
Deathstroke Still Has Unfinished DC Business
Deathstroke also has a complicated live-action history.
Joe Manganiello played the character in Zack Snyder’s DCEU and appeared in Justice League. He was once supposed to face Ben Affleck’s Batman in Affleck’s version of The Batman.
There was also a planned Deathstroke solo movie from The Raid director Gareth Evans, but that never happened.
Now, DC Studios may be taking another shot at the character, this time pairing him with Bane.
DC Keeps Leaning Into Villains
The project also fits with DC’s continued interest in villain-driven stories.
Joker became a billion-dollar hit. The Penguin scored big for HBO and Max. Peacemaker also proved DC can build around characters who are not traditional superheroes, though it collapsed in Season 2.
Following Supergirl, Gunn is also going with Clayface.
A Bane and Deathstroke movie could go in a darker action-thriller direction, a villain team-up, or something closer to a Secret Six-style setup.in yet.
