An excellent piece of Smallville fan art reimagines a memorable scene from the DC Extended Universe involving Lex Luthor and Deathstroke. At the end of both the 2017 theatrical version of Justice League and the canonical director’s cut – Zack Snyder’s Justice League – Lex Luthor escapes Arkham Asylum and recruits the supervillain Deathstroke, inviting the mercenary to his yacht. While the scene certainly generated excitement for future DCEU installments among many viewers, the cancelation of the Ben Affleck Batman solo movie and Justice League sequels sadly left the scene’s promises unfulfilled.

This stunning fan art by buffy2ville includes Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor and a hypothetical fully-formed Smallville version of Deathstroke, complete with his iconic suit and swords. The art also includes Alan Ritchson’s Aquaman, suggesting a potential conflict between him and the two villains. Considering where both Lex Luthor and Slade Wilson’s stories leave off in Smallville, a DCEU-like moment like this is certainly possible.

Where Lex Luthor’s Smallville Story Could Go Next In A Revival

Throughout the ten seasons of Smallville, Lex Luthor undergoes significant character development, making him one of the show’s more complex characters and one of the most complex versions of Lex Luthor. By the end of the show’s original run, Luthor, despite his friendship with Clark Kent, loses his memories of their shared past and becomes Superman’s greatest enemy. Like his comic counterpart, Luthor is elected President of the United States in the series finale.

Slade Wilson never fully becomes the iconic supervillain Deathstroke in Smallville, but he does share many key characteristics with his comic counterpart, with his healing factor being the most notable similarity. After a temporary imprisonment in the Phantom Zone (courtesy of Clark Kent), Wilson was sent back to Earth by General Zod and was left in a coma. Both Lex Luthor and Slade Wilson return in Smallville’s comic continuation – Smallville: Season 11.

Lex Luthor has embraced his villainy by the end of Smallville, and Slade Wilson has yet to come out of his comatose state, making this DCEU-like team-up possible in another Smallville revival. By his last Smallville appearance, Arthur Curry has embraced his role as Aquaman, making him a natural potential adversary for Luthor and a revived Wilson. If Smallville ever has a live-action continuation, this exciting homage to the DCEU scene could easily be a reality.