Batman: Assault on Arkham

Batman: Assault on Arkham is a 2014 American direct-to-video animated superhero film that is the 21st film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Loosely based on the Batman: Arkham video game franchise, the film was directed by Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding, produced by James Tucker, and written by Heath Corson. The story focuses primarily on the Suicide Squad, particularly Batman villains Deadshot and Harley Quinn with Batman himself in a supporting role. In the film, the Suicide Squad, consisting of six criminals, are dispatched by Amanda Waller to break into Arkham Asylum, where they must contend with the asylum's inmates and Batman as they attempt to complete their mission to reclaim information stolen by the Riddler.

It was first screened at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con on July 25, 2014, and it was released digitally on July 29 and on physical media on August 12.

Batman rescues the Riddler from a black ops assassination ordered by A.R.G.U.S.'s director Amanda Waller and returns him to Arkham Asylum. In response, Waller captures wanted super-criminals Black Spider, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, KGBeast, Killer Frost, and King Shark, recruits them into the Suicide Squad to break into Arkham and recover a thumbdrive in Riddler's cane containing sensitive knowledge about the squad, and implants nano-bombs in their necks to make them comply. After killing KGBeast for attempting to leave, Waller sends the remaining squad members to Gotham City to receive equipment from the Penguin. While staying overnight at the Iceberg Lounge, Harley and Deadshot have a one-night stand. The next day, Harley attracts Batman's attention amidst his search for a dirty bomb the Joker hid in Gotham in order to send herself to Arkham. As she is taken to her cell, an incarcerated Joker taunts Harley, who steals a guard's gun and shoots his cell in a rage.

Meanwhile, the other squad members infiltrate Arkham, looping the previous day's security footage to distract Batman and Waller. The group locates the Riddler's cane and Harley's mallet, but discover the former's cell is empty. Realizing their ruse, Batman subdues the squad before assuming Spider's suit and place in their ranks. Using the chaos, Frost breaks into the Riddler's cell, having been secretly ordered by Waller to kill him. However, he reveals he is a former member of the squad who knows how to disarm the nano-bombs. She takes him to the others, who agree to let him disarm their bombs in exchange for helping him escape. Concurrently, the Joker notices a structural weakness Harley made during her attempt on his life, short-circuits the cell door, and escapes.

The Riddler uses an electroshock machine to fry the squad's bombs as Waller calls for an update. Realizing their treachery, she detonates the bombs, but only succeeds in killing Shark, whose thick skin made him immune to the electricity, and Spider. Batman reveals himself and confronts the squad, but they are attacked by the Joker, who intends to kill Deadshot for having sex with Harley, though she convinces the former to forgive her. While Batman deduces from Deadshot the Joker hid his bomb in Harley's mallet, the Joker frees the inmates to cover his escape. Frost is killed and Boomerang is left behind in the ensuing breakout while Deadshot escapes in a helicopter, only to learn the Joker and Harley stowed away while Batman gives chase. Deadshot and the Joker fight, which makes the helicopter crash into a building. Deadshot pins the Joker to the helicopter before pushing it off onto the streets below, while Batman knocks out Harley and disarms the bomb.

In the aftermath, Batman confronts Waller for allowing the Riddler to escape and warns her to discontinue the Task Force X program. She dismisses him, taunting him about how the Joker's body was not found in the helicopter wreckage. Once Batman leaves, Waller notices Deadshot, reunited with his daughter, is targeting her with a scoped rifle from afar.

Additionally, Bane, Two-Face, and Poison Ivy make non-speaking cameo appearances as Arkham Asylum inmates.

In 2009, video game developer Rocksteady Studios launched the beginning of their Batman: Arkham series with Batman: Arkham Asylum. With a total of four main entries, the series reached critical acclaim and success. Near the end of development of Batman: Arkham Origins, Warner Bros. Animation approached Heath Corson to write a story focusing on the Suicide Squad set within the Batman Arkhamverse. Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding were brought in to director and James Tucker to produce. Upon reading the script, Oliva stated that "...it was very different than what I was used to, because I started prepping for this film, I thought to myself 'Well you know what, if I directed this a little differently [sic] like what if I directed this like a Guy Ritchie film.'" The film would be directed with a similar style to a Poliziotteschi Italian mob film. For the team, Corson knew that he wanted Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and Harley Quinn, because she knew the in-and-outs of Arkham. He described the relationship between Deadshot and Boomerang as "...Ocean's Eleven, but at every turn Brad Pitt tried to kill George Clooney."