2016’s Suicide Squad polarized viewers: pretty much universally hated by critics, it still proved popular enough to ultimately gross upwards of $700 million worldwide. One thing that everyone did seem to agree on was that Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was the standout star.
The Suicide Squad is expected to be more of a soft reboot than a sequel, but you’d be forgiven for thinking that Harley would still be centre stage in the Squad’s newest incarnation. However, a new report suggests the Clown Princess of Crime will not be returning. Worse still, the Joker and Harley Quinn movie, as well as the solo Joker movie, are said to have “fallen by the wayside”. There are also no plans for a Gotham City Sirens movie to crossover with next year’s Birds of Prey. It seems we’ll be seeing a lot less of Harley than predicted after her runaway popularity.
But Harley’s future isn’t all bleak – she’s featured heavily in the Birds of Prey teaser trailer, and is even named in its full title: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Considering her status as a fan favorite character (and an extremely popular costume choice for cosplayers and Halloween partiers alike), it seems almost certain that we’ll see more of Harley in later projects: it’s entirely possible that she’ll feature in 2021’s The Batman, said to feature “a Rogues Gallery” of villains, for example.
Harley returns on February 7th, 2020 in Birds of Prey, but we’ll have to wait till August 6th, 2021 to see the Suicide Squad’s new lineup – and whether the franchise will remain lucrative without the colorful presence of Harley Quinn.
How do you feel about this news? Are you still looking forward to The Suicide Squad? Be sure to tell us all of your thoughts in the comments down below!