Harley Quinn’s DC Movie Future After Birds of Prey

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) has exploded back onto the big screen with Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn). And it looks like the character is going to keep picking up steam after Bird of Prey with multiple projects in the works – from a confirmed appearance in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad to other possibilities in various stages of development.

Originally a psychologist at Arkham Asylum, Harley Quinn fell into an abusive relationship with the Joker. Her first DCEU appearance in 2016’s Suicide Squad details her backstory and follows Harley on her world-saving mission with the Squad. Despite the fact that the film as a whole was a disappointment, Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn was a huge hit. Birds of Prey picks up Harley’s story after her break-up with the Joker, and she teams up with a group of vigilantes to fight the crime boss Black Mask (Ewan McGregor).

With Birds of Prey getting a much warmer critical response that Suicide Squad (although the opening weekend box office is a little disappointing), it’s clear that Harley Quinn is a character with serious potential, especially for the more adult side of the DCEU. In the four years since her first appearance, she’s been attached to several different projects as DC decides where to go with this phenomenally zany character, but which upcoming films are confirmed, which are still possible, and which are likely to be left in the dust?

Confirmed: The Suicide Squad (2021)

Harley Quinn will return to the big screen next year as part of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Set for release on August 6th, the film is neither a direct sequel to the 2016 Suicide Squad, nor a total reboot. Some of the cast will return alongside Robbie’s Quinn, including Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, and Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg. Harley is likely to be front and center for this film (as she was for the original), although it’s not clear how she will fit into the film’s story just yet.

It’s possible that Harley will end up being recaptured (as she clearly has no intention of giving up her life of crime) and back with the Squad. Although, that’s not the only possibility. She may have a slightly smaller role as an antagonist to Waller or may even voluntarily help Waller, which is the least likely theory, given their history and characters. In the comics, Harley is a regular part of the Suicide Squad, so fans can expect to see her back in the neck-bomb crew.

Likely: Birds Of Prey 2

A sequel to Birds of Prey has yet to be announced, and it’s likely that DC will be waiting to see how the first film performs at the box office before confirming a follow-up. However, as most of the recent DCEU projects have sequels on the way (including Shazam, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman), it would be a surprise if Birds of Prey doesn’t get a round two.

Should this happen, it would presumably not release until at least 2024, given the full DCEU slate between now and then, and while Harley would have some kind of appearance in a sequel, she wouldn’t be the main character. Birds of Prey ends with Harley and Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) abandoning the Birds to strike out on their own, so it’s unlikely she’d end up joining forces with them again. She’s also not really connected to the team in the comic universe, which isn’t a guaranteed predictor of what will happen on-screen, but is still worth bearing in mind. Therefore, if (or when) Birds of Prey 2 does appear, Harley fans can expect little more than a cameo from Robbie.

Likely: Harley Quinn Solo Project

Birds of Prey works well to set up the Birds team for a sequel, but it also has the potential to set up a Harley Quinn solo project – or at least, a Harley and Cassandra Cain project – now that Harley has decided to take Cassie on as a criminal mini-me. Having dealt with her Joker-breakup fallout, she’s perfectly poised to have a film that is entirely her own, and that could go deeper into some of her comic book world (like her hyena, Bruce, or her taxidermy pet beaver that appear in Birds of Prey and come directly from the comics).

A solo project could also give Cassandra Cain a chance to develop into Batgirl as she is in the comics, and both Margot Robbie and Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan have expressed interest in seeing Poison Ivy, Harley’s comic-book love, in the DCEU. Should this project happen, it would likely not hit screens until 2024 or later.

On Hold: Gotham City Sirens

On the subject of Poison Ivy, there is still the possibility that a Gotham City Sirens movie will be made, featuring Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman. This concept was first announced as in development back in 2016, with David Ayer attached to direct. The film’s potential plot wasn’t revealed, but the Gotham City Sirens are an established team (well, more of a girl gang!) in the comics and are definitely a fan favorite. Fans assumed that a Gotham City Sirens movie would also include a romantic relationship between Harley and Ivy.

Despite the promising concept, it looks like Gotham City Sirens may not happen – or at the very least, is not actively in development at the moment. Not much has been heard about the film for a couple of years, and when Ayer was asked about its status last month, he replied that it was “on pause.” This means that it hasn’t been outright canceled, and Robbie has said that she would still like to pursue it, but it may well die a slow death in development hell. Hopefully, if this is the case, something better (that still allows for Ivy and Catwoman to appear) can take its place.

Canceled: Harley & The Joker

Gotham City Sirens wasn’t the only Harley Quinn spin-off discussed in the wake of Suicide Squad. There was also talk of a Harley Quinn & The Joker movie that would star Margot Robbie alongside Jared Leto. Described as “an insane and twisted love story. When Harry Met Sally on benzedrine,” it seemed to be planned as a Harley/Joker origin love story that would cover a little more Harley origin and see Leto return as “Mistah Jay.”

However, it has since been reported that this film is no longer being developed by DC, and with Leto’s potential solo outing as the Joker also ditched and his upcoming role as the title character in Morbius, it seems that Leto and the DCEU are done. For many, this was a relief, as Leto’s Joker was wildly controversial (both for his actual portrayal of the character and his behavior on set), and his abusive relationship with Harley is far from an empowering story to tell on the big screen.

It remains to be seen what will happen with Gotham City Sirens or an anticipated Harley solo film, but in the meantime, fans can see Harley Quinn’s effervescent humor and manic violence next year in The Suicide Squad and as Birds of Prey continues to play in theaters.

About The Author

Rose Graceling-Moore
(1516 Articles Published)

Rose Graceling-Moore has been writing about film, TV and comics since 2013, when she began writing for a local print magazine in Vancouver, BC. Since then, Rose has written for Horror Honeys, Moviepilot and Quirkbooks as well as Screenrant, increasingly focusing on comic books and live-action comic adaptations, as well as diversity and representation on screen. Rose also co-hosted the DC Movies Podcast, and has guested on other nerd and entertainment podcasts over the past five years.

Rose’s love of comics began all the way back in the early ‘90s, when she discovered the X-Men while living in Africa (where there wasn’t a whole lot to do but read!), and since then has had an on-again, off-again love affair with not just Marvel, but DC and indie comics as well. You can follow her on Twitter: RoseMooreWrites for tweets about comics, movies, and more.

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