Warning: SPOILERS for the Creature Commandos Season 1 finale are forward!
Though the DC Universe has formally changed the DC Prolonged Universe as the primary shared continuity on this nook of the superhero media panorama, there are components of the latter that stay intact on this new period. Together with Xolo Maridueña set to reprise Blue Beetle in an animated upcoming DC TV present, a lot of the occasions of The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker Season 1 stay canon, although undoubtedly not that memorable Justice League scene. Each these tasks have been helmed by James Gunn, who additionally made Creature Commandos, has his Superman film coming this summer season on the 2025 motion pictures schedule, and is working DC Studios with producer Peter Safran.
The traces between the DCU and James Gunn’s portion of the DCEU hold getting blurrier, with the latest instance being how The Suicide Squad’s King Shark was introduced again as a brand new member of the Creature Commandos’ title staff (see for your self by streaming the Season 1 finale with a Max subscription). So taking all this into consideration, I’m pitching that Margot Robbie reprise Harley Quinn for the DCU as quickly as doable.
What We’ve Seen From Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn So Far
Margot Robbie’s historical past with The Joker’s lover-turned-antiheroine stretches again to 2016’s Suicide Squad, which got here out 5 years after Harley Quinn’s connection to Process Pressure X was first shaped within the comics throughout the New 52 period. Though Suicide Squad itself was a field workplace success, it was met with primarily damaging essential reception, however Robbie’s efficiency as Harley was one of many film’s few praised facets. So it was hardly stunning when she was introduced again for 2020’s Birds of Prey, adopted by The Suicide Squad a yr later, and she or he was simply one in all 4 Suicide Squad characters who returned for the latter film (the others being Captain Boomerang, Amanda Waller and Rick Flag Jr.).
Though Suicide Squad launched the DCEU’s Harley Quinn as a lovesick baddie determined to return to The Joker, Birds of Prey noticed her breaking apart with the Clown Prince of Crime and forging a brand new life on her personal, and The Suicide Squad solely not directly acknowledged her poisonous relationship. After we left off together with her, she was flying out of Corto Maltese with Bloodsport, Ratcatcher II and King Shark, the one different Process Pressure X survivors.
Margot Robbie Deserves A Lot Extra Time To Shine As Harley Quinn
Margot Robbie has performed Harley Quinn in three motion pictures, which is much more time than most actors get to play a personality. Nonetheless, contemplating how effectively acquired her efficiency as the favored DC Comics character was from 2016 to 2021, and since James Gunn is so prepared to retain characters from his prior DC tasks, it’s solely proper that she be allowed to proceed enjoying Harley within the DC Universe. If the general public appreciated her depiction a lot, why not give them extra of it?
Don’t get me incorrect, Harley had already been a well-liked DC character for a very long time earlier than Suicide Squad got here out, stretching again to when she was performed by the late Arleen Sorkin in Batman: The Animated Collection, which launched Harley to the world. But it surely’d be silly to say that the 2016 film and the following appearances of Robbie’s Harley didn’t catapult the character to new heights of recognition. If Viola Davis and John Cena can hold respectively enjoying Amanda Waller and Peacemaker, then Robbie’s Harley needs to be added to the lineup.
It Would Be Straightforward Sufficient To Match Harley Quinn Into The DCU Timeline
As talked about earlier, except for Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle, all of the DC Prolonged Universe holdovers from the DC Universe come from James Gunn-helmed tasks into consideration. So working inside these parameters, that will imply the one “canon” look from Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn within the DC Universe has been in The Suicide Squad, which is ok by me. The much less I’ve to consider Suicide Squad, the higher (although it’d be nice if the Ayer Lower could possibly be launched sometime), and whereas Birds of Prey was a significantly better viewing expertise for me, I don’t really feel strongly sufficient about it to actively marketing campaign for these occasions to issue into Harley’s backstory for the DCU.
Which leaves simply The Suicide Squad, which is one in all my favourite motion pictures from the DCEU period. This implies Harley would get a virtually clean slate to work with within the DCU: all that must be saved in thoughts is that she was once romantically concerned with The Joker and she or he went on a number of Process Pressure X missions. In any other case, the sky’s the restrict on what could possibly be completed together with her, and I’d particularly be enthusiastic about seeing her lastly seem in a Batman-centric mission, like The Courageous and the Daring or the Mike Flanagan-penned Clayface film.
Margot Robbie Is A Greater Draw Than Ever
Though Margot Robbie first drew consideration worldwide for her position in The Wolf of Wall Avenue, enjoying Harley Quinn unquestionably made her a giant identify round Hollywood. Quick-forward 9 years later, Robbie is a two-time Academy Award-nominated actress who’s impressed in flicks like I, Tonya, As soon as Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bombshell and Barbie, the latter of which she additionally produced. She’s one in all Tinsel City’s largest attracts as of late, so DC could be silly to not loop her again in, particularly since as I’ve already made clear, the trail is definitely laid out for her to take action. Yeah, she’ll fetch a a lot heftier paycheck, however it will likely be definitely worth the cash to provide the individuals extra of what was thought of one of many fundamental highlights of the DCEU.
2025 has simply begun, and whereas I clearly don’t anticipate Margot Robbie to seem within the DC Universe this yr since each Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 have already been shot, my fingers are crossed that we would obtain information this yr about her reprising Harley Quinn. For now although, no less than I can simply revisit her prior outings because the character over on Max whereas going by the DC motion pictures so as.