Tom Cruise’s journey as Ethan Hunt has (seemingly)come to an end inMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. These last two films have seen Hunt face off against a personal foe from his past, Gabriel (Esai Morales), under the guidance of an AI software known as The Entity. It’s undeniable thatGabriel is one of the most skilled foes Hunt has gone up against. He’s manipulative, menacing, able to match Hunt in hand-to-hand combat, and undetectable with The Entity’s help. On paper, it’s a perfect antagonist for Hunt if this is the final film. Mileage may vary on whether Gabriel is thebest villain in theMission: Impossiblefranchise, but Morales gives a great performance with what he’s given.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoningis far from Morales' first time playing a villainous role. One of his first (and most notable) roles is Bob Morales, the abusive half-brother of rock and roll star Ritchie Valens, inLuis Valdez’sLa Bamba. Even as he gives a dark portrayal in the biopic, audiences enjoyed Morales' tortured and complex performance. He showed his range as an actor and went on to take more heroic roles inpolice procedurals likeNYPD Blue,Criminal Minds, andNCIS: Los Angeles. After his tenure as a likable protagonist, he would return to his villainous roots with other TV series likeOzarkandHow to Get Away with Murder, and remind audiences of how chilling he can be. However, one of his underrated performances is this iconic DC villain from theMax OriginalseriesTitans.
Esai Morales Is Chilling As Deathstroke in ‘Titans’
Introduced inTitansSeason 2, Episode 1, “Trigon,” Morales' take on Slade Wilson appears to be retired from being a hired gun, but his dark persona reawakens when Jason Todd/Robin (Curran Walters) announces on the news that the Titans are back in business. Slade and the Titans have a history as Slade comes out of hiding todon his Deathstroke gearagain. With very little dialogue,Morales' body language as Slade is enough to express the palpable anger he hastowards the Titans. Flashbacks throughout the season show that the Titans' vendetta against Deathstroke all started when he killed Garth/Aqualad (Drew Van Acker) with a long-range sniper. When Deathstroke faces Dick Grayson/Robin (Brenton Thwaites) or even thesuperpowered Amazonian Donna Troy/Wonder Girl(Conor Leslie) in a fight, he’s able to defeat them easily. Donna notes that the last time the Titans went up against Deathstroke, they crawled away with an inch of their life, explaining why the first iteration of the team broke up in the first place.
Cut to the present day inTitansSeason 2: Slade is out for revenge, but he doesn’t just rely on his combat and gun skills to take out the new Titans team. Morales' Deathstroke is clever and manipulative by using mind games to break the Titans apart without having to face them all on. A big part of Deathstroke’s plan to take out the Titans is by swaying his daughter, Rose Wilson (Chelsea Zhang), to infiltrate the team by making them think Slade is hurting her. Slade goes as far as to mercilessly gouge out Rose’s left eye to really make the Titans believe the charade. Slade truly believes the ends justify the means of his goal and will do anything to succeed. As cold-hearted as Morales' portrayal is,it’s exactly what comic book fans should expect from Deathstroke.
Deathstroke Is One of ‘Titans’ More Complex Characters
What makes Morales' Deathstroke stand out from previous iterations, likeRon PerlmaninTeen TitansorManu BennettinArrow, is how nuanced his version of the character is. Undeniably, Morales as Slade is brutal, dark, and cold. But Morales makes hima villain that you love to hate. Before his run-in with the Titans, Slade married a woman named Adeline (Mayko Nguyen) and had a child named Jericho (Chella Man). Jericho idolized his father, even though they rarely saw each other since Slade would be away on business (hitman business, that is). Slade’s work caught up to him as Adeline and Jericho were taken hostage by his enemies. Although Slade was able to defeat them, Jericho’s throat was slashed, and he lost his ability to speak.
This caused Adeline to distance herself and Jericho from Slade, but the Titans managed to track him down and planned to use him as bait for Slade. It goes to show thatthe Titans are willing to put innocent people at risk for their cause. To make matters worse, when Jericho and Slade reunite to talk things out, Grayson shows up to fight Deathstroke. In the chaotic action, Deathstroke is about to kill Grayson, but Jericho jumps in at the last minute and dies. Morales gives an emotional performance not typically seen by Deathstroke in live-action. It’s a gut-wrenching moment thathighlights the cycle of violence.
In the year following Jericho’s death, Slade takes in Rose, his estranged daughter, and trains her to be a fighter like him. Partly to ensure that his remaining child can defend herself against formidable foes, but also as a partner to help him take down the Titans. In a skewed way of acting, Slade loves his children. Morales portrays Slade with a sense of security that characters could easily fall for, while instantly switching to this merciless killer. It’s a shame his Deathstroke only lasted for one season ofTitansbecause it really isthe most complex portrayal of the character.
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James Gunn Should Bring Back Esai Morales As Deathstroke
It’s been reported thatMatthew Ortonis writing a script for a film featuring Deathstroke and Bane at DC Studios. While it’s not confirmed whether it’ll bein the DCU alongsideSupermanandPeacemakerSeason 2 withJohn Cena, or an Elseworlds story, there’s a casting call for Deathstroke. Even thoughJoe Manganielloplayed the character inZack Snyder’s Justice League, it’s highly doubtfulJames Gunnwill bring him back in the role.Jason Momoamay have played Aquaman in the DCEU, but he’s taking on the role ofLobo inSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrowin the DCU.
SinceTitanswas never actually set in the DCEU, maybe Gunn could consider having Morales reprise the role inthe upcoming Deathstroke and Bane film. It doesn’t have to be the exact same version of the character. Morales has shown that he has the range to portray this character in different ways, but with the same coldness and charm he gave inTitans. Morales has recently appeared inCurb Your EnthusiasmandSide Quest,so he has the comedy chopsas well. Who knows, maybe a potentialPeacemakerSeason 3 could see the titular character go up against Morales' Deathstroke? Wherever Morales could return as Deathstroke, that’s something that should be done.
All seasons ofTitansare streaming on Max.
