It's a very exciting time to be a DC fan. After a bumpy start with movies like Justice League and Suicide Squad, the live-action shared universe is on the upswing due to the massive success of James Wan's Aquaman. While that blockbuster continues cashing in, the time has also come to look forward to the future projects that Warner Bros. has coming down the pipeline. And this week, it's all about Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
Cathy Yan's upcoming blockbuster has been slowly developing over the past few months, accruing an impressive cast and crew to bring the story to life. Fans got their first glimpse of the Birds of Prey cast via a short promo teaser. Suicide Squad David Ayer has been supportive of Harley Quinn's new group of gal pals, and now it appears he's especially proud after seeing the footage. As someone on Twitter asked him:
While Suicide Squad may have gotten a bad rap from both audiences and critics, the movie brought Harley Quinn to life on the silver screen for the first time. And the psychotic villain is set to be a major presence in the greater DC Universe.
David Ayer's tweet in support of Harley Quinn shows how the director is still proud of his work. Suicide Squad was produced when the DC Universe was still very much in its infancy. And after an amazing first trailer, the pressure was on for Ayer to deliver with the ensemble project, and service his cast of villains.
Unfortunately, this was easier said than done. Because while Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Will Smith's Deadshot became fan favorites, characters like Joker and Captain Boomerang didn't fare quite as well. And while Suicide Squad made money and even won an Oscar in the process, it's still known as a blemish in the shared universe.
But in the end, Suicide Squad's influence will be felt in the next few years of the DCEU. Aside from Harley's role in Birds of Prey, DC is also developing Suicide Squad 2. What's more, Guardians of the Galaxy visionary James Gunn is set to write the sequel, hopefully bringing his unique sense of humor and perspective to the franchise.
Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will arrive first, bringing Harley Quinn back to Gotham City in the process. While it's unclear how Harley will factor into the larger narrative, the upcoming blockbuster will see her interact with other beloved DC femme fatales, including Huntress, Black Canary, and Renee Montoya. The movie will also allow Ms. Quinn to deal with some of Gotham's other iconic villains, including Black Mask and Victor Zsasz. Let's just hope her chosen family in the Suicide Squad doesn't get jealous.
Birds of Prey will arrive in theaters on February 7th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
