DC fans are thrilled about the release of the newest season of Harley Quinn. It’s no wonder, with many of the animated show’s portrayals of iconic DC characters being some of the best ones ever put to screen. Yet, plenty of these characters have had truly compelling interpretations in other films and series.
Whether fans are just biding their time waiting for Harley Quinn or ready to explore more projects with their favorite characters, the wider DC Universe has provided some tremendous portrayals of iconic heroes and villains.
Harley Quinn – DC Extended Universe
Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn in the DC Extended Universe has not only made the character a breakout star of the film franchise but has also made the anti-heroine one of the biggest names in the entirety of DC Comics.
From her captivating debut in Suicide Squad to her first titular adventure in Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, to her most recent thrilling appearance in The Suicide Squad, Robbie’s portrayal of the character has helped redefine who Harley is and turned the villainous sidekick into an empowering heroine, something which set the stage for Kaley Cuoco’s tremendous version of the character.
Poison Ivy – Batman: Arkham Series
The Batman: Arkham games are considered the best video games inspired by comic books and one of the reasons was the franchise’s brilliant interpretations of Batman’s Rogues gallery. Poison Ivy was no exception to this, and stood out among a truly memorable cast of villains due to her fascinating character development over the course of the games.
Voiced by Tasia Valenza, this version of Ivy was much more embracing of her nature side and opposed to humanity than some interpretations, yet still played a surprising role in the franchise’s final game, Arkham Knight. While not as prominent as the relationship shown in Harley Quinn, this Poison Ivy also cared deeply for her Harley.
The Joker – The Dark Knight (2008)
While the Joker can often be played up laughs and act as a comedic foil to Batman or his other enemies, something he does quite often in Harley Quinn, he can also be of the most frighteningly brilliant antagonists in all of fiction.
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight leans into this, with Heath Ledger’s anarchistic yet cerebral portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime, ultimately making the character unforgettable and one of the smartest superhero movie villains of all time.
Clayface – DC Animated Universe
Like many of the villains to appear in Batman: The Animated Series and the subsequent The New Batman Adventures, the show’s interpretation of Clayface was a tragic one. Much like in Harley Quinn, the DCAU Clayface was an actor, though this version is much a less comedic take on this.
In the DCAU, Clayface was a former star ruined by his disfigurement named Matt Hagen, who becomes Clayface after being forced to overdose on an addictive rejuvenation chemical by a criminal. Most of Clayface’s episodes revolve around his desire for revenge, as well as his goal to cure himself, both of which lead to some of the show’s most emotional moments.
King Shark – The Suicide Squad (2021)
2020 onwards has actually been a pretty huge boom period for the King Shark character, going from a mostly unused villain to gaining prominent roles in multiple major projects. One of those projects was James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.
Like how he is portrayed in Harley Quinn, The Suicide Squad version of King Shark is oddly wholesome yet incredibly violent. Voiced by Sylvester Stallone, this King Shark is much more simple and child-like than the Harley Quinn version, yet still holds a surprisingly deep yearning for friendship that is truly moving.
Doctor Psycho – Powerless (2017)
Truthfully, Harley Quinn is pretty much the first and only prominent role Doctor Psycho has ever held outside of comic books. He hasn’t even appeared in any sort of Wonder Woman film or show, live-action or animated, despite being a part of her Rogues gallery.
Prior to his role on Harley Quinn as a misogynistic megalomaniac, his television debut was a quasi-appearance in the show Powerless, a workplace sitcom that followed ordinary people in the DC Universe dealing with the repercussions of super battles. A gas attack by Psycho (only pictured) leaves the characters trapped in the office on the day of a retreat.
Kite Man – Batman: The Brave And The Bold (2008 – 2011)
Kite Man, the unbelievably lovable loser whose ridiculous villainous antics all revolve around kites became a breakout character of Harley Quinn. Pathetic, yet endearing, Kite Man is one of the most quotable characters in the entire show and is even receiving his own spinoff (via Variety).
It’s truly incredible the impact that the Harley Quinn version of Kite Man has had, especially considering it’s only the second-ever portrayal of the character, the only other one a more serious interpretation voiced by Jeffrey Combs who feuded with Plastic Man in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
Bane – The Dark Knight Rises
The Harley Quinn animated series has had a lot of fun with the character Bane, and much of that comes from combining his traditional Luchador appearance with his (somewhat incomprehensible) The Dark Knight Rises voice.
Voice jokes aside, Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Bane in the final film of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy is still the definitive version of the character, a truly menacing villain with equal parts brain and brawn that broke the Batman and brought Gotham to its knees.
Commissioner Gordon – The Dark Knight Trilogy
While Jeffrey Wright’s portrayal of the character in The Batman is well on its way to making him the single best Commissioner Gordon actor, he just hasn’t had enough time with the character yet to compete with Gary Oldman’s version of the character from Nolan’s trilogy.
Appearing in all three films of The Dark Knight saga, the movies highlight Gordon’s evolution from one of Gotham’s few honest cops into the Commissioner of the GCPD. The three films offer a deep insight into Gordon’s friendship with Batman, as well as the heavy toil his work has taken on his personal life. That last part is certainly something the Harley Quinn animated series has, though it’s played up to a much more comedic level with a deranged and overstressed Gordon.
Batman – DC Animated Universe
There have been countless incredible portrayals of Batman throughout the years, both in live-action and animation, many of which have legitimate claims to be the best, and Harley Quinn‘s stoic yet silly take on the character is one of them. However, it’s just too hard to topple the Kevin Conroy-voiced Caped Crusader seen throughout the DCAU.
From his haunting work in Gotham in Batman: The Animated Series to his teaming up with heroes such as Superman and Wonder Woman in Justice League to mentoring the next generation far into the future of Batman Beyond, the DCAU Batman was one that went through an epic journey that perfectly captured both the character’s grit and humanity.
