Joker vs. Deadshot
Genre: Action/Superhero/Comedy
Director: Danny McBride
Writer: APJ
Based on DC Comics characters
Cast: Caleb Landry Jones, Walton Goggins, Danny McBride, Julia Garner, Al Pacino, Halle Berry, Vincent Gallo, Louisa Krause, Drew Starkey, Lea Seydoux
Plot: Snow falls softly on Gotham's entertainment district as the Maroni-owned Golden Bell Casino glows with holiday lights. Inside, tuxedoes patrons sip cocktails beneath a towering Christmas tree. Suddenly, the casino's double doors explode inward. Through the smoke, The Joker (Caleb Landry Jones) strides in, dressed as a demented Santa, his red Santa suit splattered with grime. Harley Quinn (Julia Garner) pirouettes beside him in a torn elf costume, candy-cane-striped bat in hand. A dozen armed guards raise their weapons, but Joker grins even wider. He tosses a handful of wrapped presents onto the floor. A second later, they explode into bursts of shrapnel and red mist, tearing through flesh and sending bodies sprawling. Patrons scream, ducking behind slot machines as Joker leaps onto the roulette table. Jonny Frost (Drew Starkey), waiting nervously in the getaway car, honks the horn. Joker ignores the horn as he waltzes through the casino, shooting out lights as he hums Jingle Bells, Batman Smells. After collecting cash and casino chips, Joker sets fire to the casino's Christmas tree and skips out the doors.
In the quiet suburbs outside Gotham, Floyd Lawton (Walton Goggins), known to the underworld as Deadshot, flips burgers on his backyard grill. Floyd's wife Susan (Louisa Krause) watches from through the kitchen window. Across the yard, Eddie Lawton (Danny McBride), Floyd's brother, tangles with a propane tank, nearly catching his jacket sleeve on fire. Floyd's burger flipping is interrupted when his phone buzzes. One the other end of the phone is a representative of the Maroni family offering Floyd a high-dollar job with a simple target: The Joker.
Deep inside a high-security DEO facility, Amanda Waller (Halle Berry) studies crime scene footage of Joker's latest heist. Sasha Bordeaux (Lea Seydoux) argues for calling in Task Force X. Waller shakes her head, insisting her suicide squad would simply mean more collateral damage. Sasha then proposes tipping off Batman. Waller shakes her head again, insisting containment is key. Waller suggests letting Deadshot, Joker, and Maroni's men tear each other apart and letting the dust settle where it may. Waller gives Sasha the order to keep the situation quiet, contained, and make sure no heroes come sniffing around.
Lou Maroni (Al Pacino) sits in a lavish penthouse, calmly sipping bourbon in front of the fireplace while admiring the soft glow coming from a nativity scene. His son Sal Maroni (Vincent Gallo) rants about the money Joker stole from the casino, pacing like a caged animal. Lou listens, then calmly picks up his phone before calling Deadshot. Sal immediately orders a group of his men to tail Deadshot until the job is finished. Lou comments that the organization can't afford Deadshot's fee after the Joker ripped off their casino. Sal tells his old man that he has it all figured out - they'll simply kill Deadshot instead of paying him. Sal then calls in a group of his thugs and tells them to wait for Deadshot at his safe house that evening after the job has been done.
Joker's hideout, an abandoned amusement part, glows under a network of haphazardly strung Christmas lights. From a high vantage point, Deadshot steadies his rifle. He gets the Joker in his sights. Before Deadshot can fire, Joker suddenly spins on his heels, arms flung wide, as if welcoming the bullet. He then dodges the bullet, calling out that Deadshot missed, where ever he is. Joker's goons emerge from the shadows, as Harley quietly climbs toward Deadshot's vantage point. She swings her bat at Deadshot, causing him to miss again. Deadshot retreats to his safe house, finding Eddie waiting for him, stuffing his face with Christmas cookies. Floyd is shocked to find his brother has broken into his safe room and questions him. Eddie waves a bobby pin between his fingers and claims he has been taking online classes. Before Floyd can curse out his brother, something slides under the door - a Christmas card from the Joker. Before Floyd can react, the entire front door explodes, hurling both brothers across the room.
Masked men flood the safe house. Dressed in phony GCPD tactical gear, Maroni's personal hit squad, a mix of crooked cops and mob enforcers, storm the room. Floyd pulls out twin pistols. Eddie coughs from the smoke. Floyd moves on instinct, taking out three men with three clean shots. More gunfire erupts, bullets ripping through the walls. Deadshot counters with surgical precision. Eddie scrambles along the ground, finding a knife for protection. The last hitman charges toward Deadshot - only to obliterated as a car smashes through the wall, crushing him to death. As bricks fall and sparks fly, the Joker emerges from the car, asking if Deadshot needs a lift. Deadshot is ready to kill Joker, but the Clown Prince of Crime informs his would-be assassin that the Maroni family doesn't have the cash to pay his fee. Deadshot is annoyed by this revelation. Joker adds that the Maroni family was clearly planning to kill the famed Deadshot after the hit to avoid paying - which means they now have a common enemy. Eddie comments that Joker makes a good point. Floyd hates that the Joker is right and tells his brother to shut his mouth. Joker cackles, proposing that he and Deadshot become partners for the holidays - Deadshot can get his revenge while Joker gets a new playground by taking over the Maroni'9s turf - and by Christmas morning, all their problems can be solved. Deadshot reluctantly agrees - but can't promise to not kill Joker at some point.
Back in her office, Amanda Waller catches up on the events through surveillance footage. She then taps a button. On the monitors, every major superhero's location is tracked in real-time.
Joker and Deadshot stand over a table covered in maps, blueprints, and bloodstained cash. Harley perches on a stack of crates, spinning a stolen revolver. Eddie - a computer programmer by trade - is able to hack into Lou Maroni's bank accounts, confirming that Gotham's top crime family is broke. Joker, tapping a candy cane against the map, comments that Maroni's down to his last stack of cast, hiding in his estate, probably sitting by the fire sipping some expensive beverage. Harley proposes they ruin Maroni's Christmas morning. Deadshot, though, isn't in the mood for theatrics. He explains that if they go straight to the front door, there will be a damn army waiting. They are going to need a distraction. Harley raises her hand and suggests they blow up a shopping mall. Eddie agrees with the idea, claiming it would keep the cops busy. Joker pats them both on the head like pet dogs, laughing. Joker leans back and says that they need to make Maroni think he's winning. Deadshot asks him to clarify. Joker winks, saying that they have to let Maroni catch them.
The Maroni estate is a fortress, but inside the place is pure holiday excess as Gotham's most corrupt men sip champagne and eggnog. At the head of the dining table sits Lou Maroni, cutting into a bloody steak. Sal Maroni, much less calm, growls that he wants the heads of both the Joker and Deadshot on a plate. Lou tells Sal to stop wasting any bullets. Sal is confused. Lou then motions to the security feed showing Deadshot and Joker walking toward the estate's front gate - arms raised, weapons holstered. Lou smiles, stating that they have come to surrender - Merry fucking Christmas.
Inside the estate, Deadshot and Joker are forced to their knees. Joker, despite having his hands zip-tied, looks absolutely delighted. Sal presses a gun to Joker's forehead, shaking with rage. Deadshot, still calm, observes that the guards are moving them toward the grand staircase leading to the basement. They aren't being shot on sight, which means Maroni has a plan. Deadshot asks Lou if he is planning on giving them some long, dramatic speech before killing them. Lou insists they'll have some fun first. The basement is nothing short of a torture chamber. Lou Maroni tells Joker that he doesn't just want him dead - he wants him to hurt first for ripping them off. Deadshot is silent, but his fingers flex subtly - counting the seconds. Then right on cue, an explosion rocks the estate. Maroni's men freeze. A second later, gunfire erupts upstairs - screams, chaos. The guards whirl toward Lou for orders. That's when Deadshot movies. In one swift motion, he headbutts the closest guard and yanks the pistol from his holster. He begins picking off Maroni's men, one shot at a time. Joker kicks another in the groin. Above them, Eddie and Harley burst through the upper doors, guns blazing. Eddie, fires a shotgun wildly. Harley swings from a chandelier, unloading rounds into Maroni's guards. Lou pulls a gun, but Deadshot shoots it out of his hand before he can fire.
The Maroni estate is in flames. Deadshot and Eddie clear the corridors, taking out the remaining guards as the house collapses around them. Joker and Harley corner Sal Maroni. Joker laughs at Sal - no money, no power, no future. Sal reaches for a gun, but Joker is faster. BANG. Sal's body slumps against the Christmas tree. Lou Maroni, injured but alive, watches his son's corpse fall at Joker's feet. Joker raises his gun at Lou. Deadshot grabs his wrist, stopping him. Joker sighs. As the estate collapses, the four of them - Deadshot, Joker, Eddie, and Harley - escape into the snowy night. Joker whistles "Silent Night" as flames consume what is left of the Maroni empire. As police arrive at the Maroni estate, Lou sits on the front steps, defeated. Police read Lou his rights, barely reacting as he is shoved into the back of a squad car.
Amanda Waller watches the destruction of the Maroni estate from her office. Sasha Bordeaux points out that Maroni's empire just collapsed overnight and if they don't act fast, Gotham's going to descend into a gang war. Waller exhales. She is more disturbed by the fact that Deadshot and the Joker just teamed up - and it was her fault.
Joker swings open the doors to an abandoned Gotham nightclub, stepping inside like a conquering king. He welcomes everyone to Club Chaos. Harley claps excitedly. Jonny Frost makes sure the building is clear. Joker talks about taking over Maroni's territory. Deadshot asks Joker if he really expects the rest of Gotham's criminals to simply let him take over. Joker, smoking one of Maroni's cigars, insists that is where the fun comes in. Deadshot, annoyed, pulls a gun on Joker - opening contemplating if he can still get paid if he kills Joker now. Joker pulls his own gun and fires at Deadshot, but only a Bang! sign comes out of the barrel. Deadshot fires back, but Joker ducks and lowers his gun. Deadshot is confused. Joker calls a truce. Deadshot lowers his weapon. Harley threatens to lock Joker and Deadshot in a room until they learn to get along.
Through the camera footage, Amanda Waller watches as Deadshot and Eddie leave Club Chaos and disappear into the city.
Inside Blackgate Prison, Lou Maroni sits in his cell, staring out the window at the crime-riddled city he used to control.
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