Suicide Squad had a hell of a weekend, what with critical disapproval, simultaneous financial gain and ruin, and all of the other events that made the week leading up to and including the film's release all the more interesting. And yet, the most intriguing thing happened in the actual film itself, as two big scenes with very important characters implied that a life changing event had, or could, occur. We're talking, of course, about the possibility that Harley Quinn was either pregnant, or interested in being pregnant, with The Joker's child.
It's a possibility that's been explored elsewhere in the DC Universe, and considering the influences that are shaping the cinematic branch of said universe, it doesn't seem all that far off. But, being the skeptics that we are here at Cinema Blend, we need to look over what's in front of us and talk this one out big time. So it is with our keen intellects and analytical eyes that we present to you the case for how Harley Quinn just might be a more sane individual than we thought, and for one big reason.
The Joker Has Baby Clothes
Seeing as The Joker was supposedly cut from most of his appearances in Suicide Squad, there's a lot of potential evidence that could be on Warner Bros' cutting room floor. However, there's a big moment that's still in the film that has us thinking about his relationship with Harley, and why he's so intent on chasing her. While the narrative has been altered to show Joker actually caring more about Harley, and in the most romantic manner ever for that character, it seems as if there has to be a larger reason. That big reason, at least from what we're seeing, is that Harley Quinn is either talking about, or actually was, pregnant.
Now Joker definitely doesn't seem like the "wife and kids" kind of guy, but considering one of the scenes we see in Suicide Squad shows him lying in a womb made of knives, as seen above, this doesn't seem like a stretch. The icing on the cake is the fact that actual baby clothes are set out around the knife formation. See them in the photo above. Those can't be coincidental.
However, considering everything that was cut from Joker's plot line, and the fact that this scene was left in with its dripping symbolism, it seems like something might be poking out from the shadows. Perhaps The Joker was even pursuing Harley for this very reason, as he would have either sought to be in the child's life as an influence, or even worse, wanted to make sure the child was no more if he didn't have any interest.
Harley Quinn Has An Actual Baby Dream
When the Enchantress shows everyone their heart's supposed desires during the climax of Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn's vision is rather strange, considering who she's been portrayed as throughout the film. Her character starts out as this mild-mannered medical professional who falls for the wrong patient and goes mad, turning Dr. Harleeen Quinzel into the vicious Harley Quinn. And yet, by the end of the film, we see an image of her with rollers in her hair, a baby in her arm, and a "normal" version of The Joker kissing her goodbye before going to work.
Now, there's one of two things at work here: either Enchantress is creating a vision so strong, it cuts right through Harley's bad girl act and makes her want this, or in a more plausible scenario, she's always wanted this. Seeing as she was only turned and conditioned into her current state through The Joker's usual bag of mind tricks, and a heavy cocktail of Stockholm Syndrome / electro-shock therapy, the "normal" part of Harley is hidden pretty well, even though you still see it peek through during moments with Deadshot and El Diablo.
If Harleen is poking through Harley's psyche, there's a chance that an event has happened to allow this in the first place. And as we all know, impending parenthood tends to mellow out most people that are facing down the business end of a nursery.
Hints Through Other DC Media
Were we going by Suicide Squad's storyline alone, we might just write this off as half baked BS that was thrown in to give The Joker and Harley Quinn character depth. Yet there are two other story arcs in the DC Comics canon that have fooled around with, and in one case outright confirmed, the possibility of Harley Quinn having a little punchline running around. Most infamously, the video game Batman: Arkham City has an easter egg that shows a positive pregnancy test next to two of Harley's costumes. Of course, later DLC would reject this possibility, as a later update showed that the brand Harley used had been known to incur "false positives."
However, the big piece of DC Comics lore, and the most important to our case, comes from the Injustice: Gods Among Us comic arc that was spawned from the comic adaptation of the best-selling video game. In their "Year 2" arc, Harley is 100% confirmed to be a mom. During a fight with Black Canary / Dinah Lance, Harley witnesses Dinah have an attack of morning sickness. Harley says that she remembers what that feels like, and begins to tell the story about a little girl named Lucy. She's 4 years old, love tutus and toy cars, and is being raised by Harley's sister, as she's the secret daughter between Harley and The Joker.
Considering how Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is already pointing to Injustice as its thematic inspiration, especially with the time traveling Flash hinting that Superman goes bad due to an incident involving Lois Lane, this could fall into line with the rest of this particular story.
What Does This All Mean?
If there's a true state to The Joker and Harley Quinn's relationship, they'll more than likely want it to be multiple choice. While the evidence does seem to suggest that a baby has been, or is potentially going to be, part of the picture, there's enough uncertainty to give us pause. We're not even sure if any of the litany of supposed deleted scenes involving The Joker would add any fuel to the fire or extinguish it altogether, and it's unlikely we're going to see any of them any time soon. Still, what was presented is enough to keep an eye on how Harley and Joker are written in future appearances in the DC Cinematic Universe, as there could be plenty more where this came from.
For now though, we'll continue to pour over the evidence in front of us, and see if there's anything else that could confirm or deny this potentially groundbreaking development involving Gotham's first couple of crime. Which leaves us to invite you, the reader, to log your thoughts on the matter in our poll below. Let us know what you think, and in the meantime, you can refresh your memory and see Suicide Squad again in theaters now.
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