DC Report Says Warner Bros. Is Prioritizing Its Bane and Deathstroke Movie After SUPERGIRL's Box Office Struggles
The DC Universe has barely gotten off the ground, and it's already facing its first major speed bump. Following the disappointing theatrical debut of Supergirl, a new report claims that Warner Bros. is shifting its attention to a project fans have been hearing whispers about for quite some time: a movie centered on Batman villains Bane and Deathstroke.
This seems like an unexpected move, especially considering the conversation surrounding Supergirl's performance has centered on whether audiences are showing up for lesser-known DC characters. If the latest report is accurate, though, the studio believes the Bane and Deathstroke project deserves to move higher on its priority list.
Supergirl is the second film in the new DCU. While anticipation leading into the movie was high, the results at the box office have been far less encouraging. The film currently sits at a mixed 56% on Rotten Tomatoes and opened with a worldwide total of $68 million.
Domestically, it earned $38 million, which is roughly a third of what Superman opened with last summer and even finished $1 million behind Morbius.
Naturally, those numbers have fueled plenty of debate online about where the DCU goes from here. DC Studios co-president Peter Safran recently addressed the film's reception, acknowledging the disappointing performance while making it clear the studio isn't changing course because of one movie.
He explained that even though “Supergirl didn’t meet our box office expectations,” the studio remains confident in its overall strategy for building the DC Universe.
According to a new report from TheWrap, however, the studio is already looking ahead, and one of the projects gaining momentum is the long-discussed Bane and Deathstroke movie.
The report says the DCU currently finds itself in an unusual position. Outside of next year's Man of Tomorrow, there aren't many major theatrical projects with clear release paths. Now, the Bane and Deathstroke film has reportedly become a priority internally.
That doesn't mean it's speeding into production just yet. There's still no director attached, and no casting announcements have been made for either character.
If the lesson Warner Bros. takes from Supergirl is that audiences didn't connect with a movie built around a character who isn't among DC's biggest names, then putting the spotlight on two Batman villains feels like an unusual next step.
Of course, there's still a lot we don't know. The project may end up being much more than simply a villain team-up. At this point, the only confirmed element is that Bane and Deathstroke are involved, while official details have remained scarce.
When James Gunn first unveiled the DCU roadmap back in January 2023, he introduced the "Gods and Monsters" slate, which included films and television series like Superman, Supergirl, Lanterns, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, and Paradise Lost.
Since then, some of those projects have moved forward while others appear to have stalled. The Authority, in particular, seems to have fallen off the radar altogether, while The Brave and the Bold and Paradise Lost continue to sit in development.
Gunn has only briefly commented on the Bane and Deathstroke project, previously confirming that a screenwriter was working on what he described as "something kind of like" a Deathstroke/Bane story. More recently, reports suggested that Greg Mottola was being considered as a potential director.
The bigger question is whether general audiences are actually eager for this movie. Comic book fans know exactly how dangerous and compelling both villains can be.
Bane has become one of Batman's most iconic enemies, while Deathstroke has earned a reputation as one of DC's deadliest assassins. Outside the comic community, though, their cinematic history has been surprisingly limited.
Moviegoers may remember Bane from 1997's Batman & Robin, where he was reduced to a one-dimensional brute, and from The Dark Knight Rises, where Tom Hardy delivered his unforgettable take on the character. Deathstroke has had even less exposure, appearing only briefly during the theatrical version of Justice League's post-credit scene.
Unless there's another layer to the story, perhaps involving Batman himself or even other major DC heroes, it's fair to wonder how this project fits into the larger direction Gunn has been building.
Fans have spent the last few years trying to piece together the long-term roadmap, with many believing the DCU has been laying the groundwork for an adaptation of Salvation Run.
If that's really the destination, where exactly does a Bane and Deathstroke movie fit into the journey? For now, fans will have to wait and see if this reported priority becomes one of DC Studios' next official announcements.