“Comics Slade was an explicit, outright p**ophile”: Stephen Amell’s Arrow Did Us All a Favor by Not Making Manu Bennett’s Deathstroke a Diddler

There are a few things from comics that are better left outside of the mainstream audience’s minds. While there is some sillier stuff that gets adapted out for the sake of the story being palatable to the mainstream audience, there are also some…downright disturbing aspects of the comics that are left out…for the most part.

Deathstroke || Credit: The CW

Manu Bennet managed to deliver a great performance as Deathstroke, but there was one aspect of the character that the Arrowverse saw fit to adapt out, even if it showed up in some of the animated versions of the DCU. Given that Slade is very famously a pe**phile in the comics, fans could rest easy that that part of the character was completely cut out in The CW’s version of the DCU.

Manu Bennet might have left out the p**ophile part of Deathstroke, but the animated versions of him kept it in

James Gunn is set to bring Deathstroke into the DCU (credits: DC Comics)

Be it Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, or the Teen Titans animated series, the animated parts of the DC Universe, through various degrees, have managed to talk about Deathstroke being very, very, VERY creepy. Some version of the character has always exhibited the vibe, which fans on Reddit agree was best kept out of the DCTV Universe.

There are a few fans who feel like Deathstroke’s particular preferences make him a darker and more hateable villain, while others believe that it doesn’t suit the character at all, making him a worse character. Given that Deathstroke has some of the best battles against the likes of Green Arrow and Batman, the character being a pedo does make it difficult to effectively use him, without removing that part of his history from any continuity.

Deathstroke never got his due in the DCEU

Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke in Justice League || Credit: The CW

Joe Manganiello was perfectly cast as the Deathstroke of the DCEU, who made one post-credit appearance in Justice League, before never showing up again. His expys, Deadshot, and Bloodsport got their own narrative in their respective Suicide Squad films, but Deathstroke, despite being well cast and well acted, did not get to be part of the DCEU in any meaningful way.