Deadshot (DCEU)

**Deadshot** is a cancelled American supervillain project based on the DC character of the same name. It was a planned spin-off from the film *Suicide Squad 2* (2021), existing in the same fictional continuity known as the DC Extended Universe, before its cancellation.

## Premise

Following his parole from Belle Reve, Floyd Lawton/Deadshot finds himself being unable to leave his mercenary job behind in order to find something more legal and still provide for his daughter, Zoe; the situation is complicated as he is forced to act more risky and less skillfully due to his older age and absence of his past equipment. In the midst of his struggles, a mysterious new mercenary, posing as Deadshot, begins to hunt down Lawton.

## Cast and Characters

* **Deadshot/Floyd Lawton** (portrayed by Will Smith) is an expert marksman and assassin; in the miniseries he struggles with his duties as a father and his skills as a mercenary, while at the same time being unable to find other, more legal work for himself.
* **Zoe Lawton** (portrayed by Shaylin Pierre-Dixon) is Floyd Lawton's daughter.
* **Deadshot II/Will Evans** is a mercenary with modern tech and weaponry at his disposal, who attempts to usurp Lawton by killing him. It is gradually revealed, that Evans was once an apprentice of Lawton, who was trained by the latter in order for Deadshot to take less risks and spend more time with his daughter. Evans has a vendetta against Lawton for being intentionally left at Batman's mercy.
	1. Thematic Opposition: Will Evans, as a person, is the exact opposite of the original Deadshot. Floyd Lawton grew up in a healthy family environment in the past, and him becoming a dangerous criminal was pretty much his own choice; Evans, on the other hand, grew up in a toxic family environment, and he was forced to become a criminal to survive. Lawton believes, that family motivates people to go on, while Evans believes, that family is a weakness that should be tossed aside.
	2. Strong and Clear Motivation: Will Evans wants to punish Floyd Lawton for using the former as a scapegoat and abandoning him in the time of need to Batman. Additionally, Evans, foolishly or not, believed he had a father/son connection with Lawton, a connection his character really needed to become a better person, even if he would still continue as a criminal; Lawton abandoning Evans made the latter fall even further into the abyss.
	3. Menacing Presence: Will Evans is Deadshot, both in the title and in his tactics, but without the morals that drive his former mentor. His costume is a reflection of that of Floyd Lawton's. His skills in marksmanship make him a dangerous opponent; even when he is not present on screen, he makes his presence intimidating with his skills in weapon handling.
	4. Personal Evil: Will Evans has been Floyd Lawton's apprentice in the past, and Will specifically looked up to Floyd as not only his mentor, but also a father figure, considering his tragic past relationship with his real family. Floyd abandoning him was personal for Will.

## Trivia

* After the box office success of the theatrical version of *Suicide Squad*, despite its overall poor quality and negative reception, in December 2016 it was announced, that a movie based on Deadshot is in development.
* During the 94th Academy Awards ceremony in 2022, Chris Rock made a subtle joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's appearance (due to her alopecia diagnosis), comparing her to *G.I. Jane* character Jordan O'Neil played by Demi Moore. Despite his initial positive reaction, Smith walked on stage, slapped Rock, walked back to his seat and threatened Rock to “Keep my wife's name out of your \*\*\*\*\*\*\* mouth!”. After this event, Smith was banned from future Academy Awards ceremonies for the foreseeable 10 years.
	+ Due to this event, it would be unethical to even make the project post-2022, whether it would have ended up being a movie or a miniseries.