LATE-NIGHT TURNS INTO A MAFIA MOVIE

What started as Robert De Niro spoofing an “FCC mob boss” has now snowballed into the funniest late-night crossover of the year.

On September 27, 2025, Stephen Colbert opened The Late Show with a grin and a warning: “If De Niro’s the Godfather, then Jimmy and I are the late-night mob — and we’ve got microphones instead of machine guns.”

The crowd erupted as Colbert unveiled a skit teaming up with Jimmy Kimmel to declare “war” on Boss Bob.

COLBERT’S MOB BAR PLOT

In a pre-recorded bit called “The Late-Night Anti-Mafia Coalition”, Colbert and Kimmel met in a smoky bar, dressed in black suits and sunglasses, channeling The Sopranos.

Colbert smirked: “Bob De Niro thinks he’s Tony Soprano of the FCC, but we’re late-night warriors. I’ve seen Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, and The Intern — I know all his moves!”

Kimmel shot back: “Bob told me I had to pay for every Trump joke. I said, ‘Bob, if I paid for every Trump joke, I’d own Mar-a-Lago!’”

The punchlines flowed like whiskey.

DE NIRO CRASHES THE PARTY (SORT OF)

Midway through the bit, a deepfaked Robert De Niro swaggered into the bar in a leather jacket, cigar in hand.

“You two think you can take on me?” faux-De Niro growled. “I’ll turn your shows into The Early Show — at 6 a.m.!”

Colbert and Kimmel stood, pulling out their “weapons”: a microphone for Colbert, and a ballpoint pen for Kimmel.

“We’ve got the audience, we’ve got the jokes, and we’ve got Jon Batiste!” Colbert yelled as the bandleader wailed on his sax.

Guillermo then burst in, raising a tequila glass and shouting: “Viva la late-night!”

De Niro mock-surrendered: “Okay, okay! But if I go down, I’m taking Whoopi Goldberg with me!”

THE AUDIENCE LOSES IT

Back on stage, Colbert grinned at the roaring crowd: “Seriously, thank you Robert De Niro — this is why we do it. Laughter is our weapon, and Bob just gave us ammo.”

He raised his mug and teased Kimmel: “Jimmy, your lasagna may be weak, but our jokes are strong.”

KIMMEL STRIKES BACK THAT SAME NIGHT

Not to be outdone, Kimmel fired back in his own September 27 monologue.

“Steve says he’s king of New York, but I’m emperor of Hollywood!” Kimmel declared. “And Bob, if you mess with us, we’ll turn your next sequel into Meet the Jokers.”

He aired a parody “late-night boss” video, sitting behind a desk with a sign reading “Colbert: 0, Kimmel: 1.”

“Steve, thanks for joining the fight, but I’ve already got De Niro handled. And Bob, if you want more, I’ve got Quinta Brunson, The Killers, and an entire guest list ready to make you apologize on The View.”

Guillermo capped the segment by hurling a lemon at the camera, shouting: “That’s for New York!”

SOCIAL MEDIA REACTS: #LATENIGHTMOB EXPLODES

The mock war spread like wildfire across TikTok and X. Hashtags #ComedyWar and #LateNightMob soared to trending lists, with memes comparing the trio to Goodfellas, The Sopranos, and even Avengers: Endgame.

One viral post read: “De Niro vs. Colbert & Kimmel is the crossover I never knew I needed.”

Another joked: “Forget The Irishman — I want The Late-Night Hitmen.”

HOLLYWOOD & FANS JOIN THE FUN

Celebrities piled on. Seth Meyers tweeted: “If you guys need backup, Weekend Update is on call.” Jon Stewart posted a GIF of Marlon Brando in The Godfather, captioned: “Who’s the real boss now?”

Fans are now speculating whether De Niro will appear live on either show to “settle the score.”

CONCLUSION: A COMEDY SAGA BEGINS

What began as De Niro’s mafia spoof has become a full-blown late-night comedy war — with Colbert and Kimmel uniting as the “late-night mob.”

Is this just a playful feud, or the first act of a longer saga? Either way, the internet can’t stop laughing — and Hollywood might just have stumbled into its funniest crossover yet.