DC’s ‘Savage Hunters’ Could Turn Deathstroke Into Bane’s Mentor, and Fans Are Divided

DC Studios has been quietly developing a team-up movie centered on Batman villains Deathstroke and Bane for more than 2 years, and the project finally has a name. The film first surfaced in September 2024 under James Gunn and Peter Safran, with Matthew Orton writing the script. Orton wrote for Marvel’s ‘Moon Knight’ and has a writing credit on ‘Captain America: Brave New World’.

The title arrived through Deadline’s rundown of the Warner Bros. film slate waiting for new Skydance Motion Picture Group bosses Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein. The project appears there as ‘Savage Hunters’ aka Deathstroke & Bane Movie, in early development. It sits alongside ‘The Brave and the Bold’, ‘Wonder Woman’, ‘Swamp Thing’ and ‘Teen Titans’, none of which have been greenlit yet.

Now a new rumor suggests the film won’t be the straightforward villain team-up fans imagined. According to the account AtlantaDCFans, the plan is to give Deathstroke and Bane a mentor-and-mentee dynamic, with Slade Wilson in his 40s and a much younger Bane in his 20s. Murphy’s Multiverse described the leak as a dark take on the buddy comedy.

The idea has sparked a split reaction online. Some fans are curious about the buddy dynamic and how the film might connect to Batman or ‘Teen Titans’, while others worry the setup changes comic lore in which Bane rises on his own. Plenty of memes have also popped up joking about the pair’s father-and-son vibes.

EXCLUSIVE: Bane and Deathstroke will Have a Mentor/Mentee dynamic in Savage Hunters https://t.co/CdJ3uXFBql

— ATL DC (@AtlantaDCFans) November 7, 2026

The title itself has drawn mixed responses too. CBR noted that the name doesn’t seem to hold any obvious significance for either character, though it may support an earlier claim that the movie won’t be centered solely on Bane and Deathstroke. ScreenRant pointed to the comic storyline ‘Salvation Run’, where Bane worked alongside Deadshot, as one possible inspiration, but that remains a theory.

Nothing has been officially confirmed. Greg Mottola, who directed ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2, is reportedly the frontrunner to direct. In August, TheWrap reported that the movie had become DC’s next film priority, though it still had no director or cast.

Casting speculation is already heating up. Glen Powell is rumored to be in talks with DC Studios for a big role that requires a major commitment, and Murphy’s Multiverse has suggested that role could be Deathstroke. Since Deathstroke could also turn up in ‘The Brave and the Bold’ and ‘Teen Titans’, the part could carry a long-term commitment.

The final trailer for DC’s ‘CLAYFACE’ has been released. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/ecTMB97Sto

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 24, 2026

Former Deathstroke actor Joe Manganiello has also kept the conversation going. He recently said he would be willing to take another shot at the character. The project raises a bigger question about the DCU’s direction. Geeks + Gamers asked why DC Studios is developing multiple Batman villain movies before it has even introduced its own Batman, who remains stuck in development.

The answer may depend on how audiences respond to ‘Clayface’. CBR suggested that the fate of ‘Savage Hunters’ likely depends on how the horror film does at the box office, since it’s also a solo story built around a popular Batman villain.

For now, Gunn and Safran haven’t confirmed the title or the reported mentor angle. Gunn has said in the past that he had plans for Deathstroke, so ‘Savage Hunters’ may be how those plans eventually take shape.

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