SPOILERS for Batman: Caped Crusader lie ahead so, if you haven't streamed the episodes with an Amazon Prime Video subscription, read on at your own risk.
As fans wait for The Batman - Part II, Matt Reeves, J.J. Abrams and Bruce Timm have collaborated on the new animated series, Batman: Caped Crusader. Going into Season 1, I wasn’t sure what to expect from series about a superhero who has been adapted countless times, but I was pleasantly surprised by the new show. The 2024 TV schedule entry particularly stands out, thanks to its heroes and villains’ 40s aesthetics, but one character that I need to talk about right now is Jamie Chung’s Harley Quinn. That's especially true after CinemaBlend had a chance to speak to the voice actress at San Diego Comic-Con, and she shared some great comments about her hopes for Season 2.
Caped Crusader’s Harley Quinn Was A Welcome Take On The Popular Character
In recent years, we've had Harley Quinn-centric content coming out of our ears, between Margot Robbie’s amazing live-action version, Kacey Cuoco’s hilarious version on the Max series and Lady Gaga’s upcoming take in Joker: Folie á Deux. Despite the influx of Harleys, Jamie Chung carved her own place within the character's history, with a take on the villain I’d never seen before.
In the 1940s-set Gotham, Dr. Harleen Quinzel is not working at Arkham Asylum but is a run-of-the-mill therapist, who treats various people in the city. She even has a chance to unpack Bruce Wayne’s childhood traumas, much to his chagrin. As Episode 5 reveals, she takes some intense methods to capture her well-off clients in her Harley Quinn persona and tortures them out of their cash. And rather than Harley being created by falling under the Joker's sway, she seems to be the villain by her own accord. When CinemaBlend spoke to Jamie Chung about the role at SDCC, she explained just why she loves this iteration of the DC character so much:
I kind of love the fact that it’s kind of a feminist role, I guess you could say, but that her pure existence doesn’t revolve around a man. I think they really flip the switch with that, but I kind of love the origin story of her becoming a psychiatrist and learning the ins and outs of [that]... You get to understand why she does the work and she does the work because she wants to use and take all that information to manipulate her clients. She really is like a Robin Hood of Gotham and she takes from the rich and gives to herself. So she doesn't need a sugar daddy. She's just mind fucking all these people. She's my hero.
While Harley Quinn is typically seen by the Joker's side, that's definitely not the case on Caped Crusader. As Jamie Chung shared, she was definitely here for the change in narrative, just like I was.
Jamie Chung Shared Season 2 Hopes, And Joker Is Involved
With all of that said, the Caped Crusader finale teases the terrifying Joker. Yes, the Clown Prince of Crime will get his own unique origin set in this new continuity, and I cannot wait! So, far we've only briefly seen the villain go on a murder spree as he seeks to perfect his recipe for Joker venom. When Jamie Chung was asked about whether she’d like Harley Quinn to interact with Joker in this iteration, she add the following sentiments:
I mean, I fucking hope so. They asked me to do one episode for Season 2, so I hope the two collide, and she dumps him and then he goes on this downward spiral not understanding why I don’t love him anymore.
It'd be hard to imagine Bruce Timm and co. not finding a way to have the two character cross paths at some point. Though, if they do, their dynamic will certainly be different, given that this version of Harley isn't motivated by true villainy like Mr. J. Who knows, maybe we might even see the two come to blows at some point.
On that note, Season 2 has already been greenlit, so we’ll have to wait and see how Jamie Chung’s version of Harley Quinn interacts with this Joker. The wait for further developments on Chung's Quinn may be long but, considering what we've seen so far, I'm sure her return will be well worth the wait. If you haven't already, be sure to stream all 10 episodes of Batman: Caped Crusader now. Also, be sure that you remain updated on the upcoming Batman movies and TV shows that are heading your way.
