The DC live-action universe has had quite the tenure in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. But following a rocky start and a box office bomb with Justice League, Warner Bros. seems to have course corrected the DCEU. The next installment in the shared universe is Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), which will see the return of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. And according to Robbie, that upcoming blockbuster will be way more important to Harley than her other movies.
Margot Robbie debuted her version of Harley Quinn in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. She was the undisputed scene stealer of the movie, inspiring countless Halloween costumes in the process. But Robbie thinks that Birds of Prey will be a bigger opportunity for the character than that movie, or even James Gunn's upcoming movie The Suicide Squad. As the Oscar nominated actress put it,
The story in Birds of Prey is told from her point of view, so you have an insight into Harley’s world in a way that you didn’t in the first Suicide Squad film, nor that you’ll have in the next Suicide Squad film. It’s a little bonkers. It reflects her personality. It’s heightened. It’s poppy, it’s fun, it’s violent, it’s crazy. It’s absurd. It’s kooky. It’s hilarious. It’s a little heartbreaking
Sign me up. It looks like Birds of Prey will bring something wholly unique to the DCEU, and truly capture the psyche of Harley Quinn. As such, we should expect much more from the character than in her adventures with the Suicide Squad.
Margot Robbie's comments to Variety are sure to be exciting for the DC fans out there. Harley Quinn has been a fan favorite character since her inception, so it was very exciting to see Robbie playing the villain in live-action. While Suicide Squad served as an introduction and showed how toxic her relationship with Jared Leto's Joker was, Birds of Prey will really be her starring vehicle. After all, Harley's name is in the film's (long) title.
Related: James Gunn Has Some High Praise For Margot Robbie After The Suicide Squad
As the trailers teased, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will be told through the titular villain's perspective. Audiences will get a glimpse into Harley's fractured psyche. The cast has been teasing how that macguffin will bring something unique to the superhero genre. Margot Robbie's above quote seems to echo this, as all of those adjectives tease a movie that will be a far cry from the most recent installments like Shazam! and Aquaman.
Since David Ayer's Suicide Squad and James Gunn's upcoming The Suicide Squad have so many characters to balance, Harley won't get nearly as much screen time as Birds of Prey. Those movies require a more objective narrator, while Cathy Yan's movie will give Harley Quinn room to surprise and explore.
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will hit theaters on February 7th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. And our 2020 release list to look ahead toward the New Year.
