While Marvel seems to be enjoying a renaissance in the gaming space, DC's offerings are slipping in confidence. Gotham Knights released to a lukewarm reception, and the delay of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is cause for hesitation given it was so close to its launch date. The company will forever be known for Rocksteady's superb Arkham series, but it has some catching up to do after quality releases like Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, and Midnight Suns.
DC has the iconic characters to provide an expansive gaming universe full of character intrigue and elaborate storylines, and series like Injustice show this. After two consecutive team-centric offerings, it may be best to select a character who can carry their own game, and one forgotten DCEU anti-hero - Deathstroke - could be the catalyst for something really compelling, especially as there is a Marvel game out there who laid a decent blueprint.
Deathstroke is Yin to Deadpool's Yang
While their names and abilities are deliberately similar, Deathstroke and Deadpool's personalities are night and day, which could be a real blessing should DC decide to give its character his own AAA game. Deadpool is jovial, crass, and light-hearted, but Deathstroke's stoic maturity and killer instinct make him a worthy adversary for even the mightiest of DC's heroes. He's morally malleable enough to be a complex gaming protagonist, much like Deadpool, and has enough content in the pages of comics to lean on for any potential story angle.
The aptly-titled Deadpool from developer High Moon Studios was a valiant attempt at a faithful and fun Deadpool game in 2013, but it left enough on the table to be improved in some key ways. The combat was repetitive, the art style left much to be desired, and the story (outside its strong humor) was forgettable. It's a shame that there wasn't a follow-up, but a couple of fantastic films launched just a few years later, giving audiences a new take on the character that has become near-universally beloved.
Deathstroke Has All the Makings of a Great Gaming Protagonist
Though Deathstroke has had plenty of appearances in games like LEGO DC Super Villains, and a more prominent but unforgettable role in Batman: Arkham Origins, he has yet to be given the reins for his own adventure. The apparent absence of the character in the DCEU despite being teased with Joe Manganiello during Justice League is frustrating, as he has much to give the silver screen. However, this could be rectified somewhat with a video game outing of quality. Insomniac's choice to go with Wolverine for its next superhero title is proof that there's a lot of interest in morally gray characters, and Deathstroke has a compelling enough personality to stand out in a packed landscape of great characters.
Deathstroke's role as a mercenary means his ideals often alight with the best and the worst that society has to offer, so being the center of his own game could provoke an interesting morality system like Mass Effect or Infamous. Giving players the opportunity to show off his abilities in an action game like 2013's Deadpool could correct that game's mistakes and allow a character who is perfect for the medium a chance to make a mark outside his fleeting season of Arrow. With the Suicide Squad at the center of their own title in 2024, it's not a huge stretch to think Deathstroke could, and should be next out of DC.