The DC live-action universe has been on a roll lately. Following the disappointing performance of Justice League, Warner Bros. pivoted away from crossovers and shared storytelling for director-driven blockbusters like Shazam! and Aquaman. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn got to be fleshed out in Birds of Prey, and she'll soon return to theaters with James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. And according to Gunn himself, he's got quite an arc planned for the fan favorite Batman villain.
Harley Quinn was introduced in live-action for the first time in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Margot Robbie stole the show in the blockbuster, but was just one member of an ensemble. Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey helped to expand the character and give us a look into her fractured psyche. Fans have been wondering how she'll factor into The Suicide Squad, and when one fan asked about Harley's costumes, James Gunn responded saying:
Harley goes on quite the journey in this film.
Well, this is certainly exciting. While James Gunn assembled a massive cast for The Suicide Squad, he's not planning on letting Harley Quinn's story fall to the wayside. Although just what her journey will entail should remain a mystery for the foreseeable future.
James Gunn's quote about Harley Quinn come from the comments section of his personal Instagram. The Guardians of the Galaxy visionary regularly uses social media to directly communicate with fans. Instagram has been his method of choice during filming for The Suicide Squad, where Gunn would do informal Q&A's and shut down some rumors along the way.
One fan asked James Gunn about Harley Quinn's looks in The Suicide Squad. David Ayer's original movie gave her one skimpy costume, which got smaller and smaller throughout the course of its runtime. But Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey costumes were less "male-gazey" (Robbie's words), and she got a variety of looks throughout the movie's runtime.
Birds of Prey covered far more time than Suicide Squad, which is why she got a bunch of colorful, exciting costumes throughout the blockbuster. The scope of James Gunn's The Suicide Squad is a mystery, but he's got a massive cast in unknown roles. And with so many names attached, Gunn will be able to kill off character as he pleases.
After watching Birds of Prey, I'm eager to see if Ella Jay Basco's Cassandra Cain factors into The Suicide Squad at all. The young pickpocket and Harley formed a family bond of their own throughout Birds of Prey, ultimately starting a business together by the film's end. There's been no word about Cassie's possible role, or Gunn simply wrote her out. Only time will tell.
The Suicide Squad is currently set to arrive in theaters on August 6th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
