What’s Going On With Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn?

With the DC Universe due to bring a soft reboot to the old DC Extended Universe, audiences may wonder if Margot Robbie will reprise her role as Harley Quinn again. Robbie debuted as the iconic DC anti-hero in 2016’s Suicide Squad, and while the film was poorly received, her depiction of Harley Quinn was considered one of the film’s highlights. Margot Robbie reprised the role in 2020’s Birds of Prey and James Gunn’s 2021 film The Suicide Squad, making it appear possible, if not likely, that she would continue the role into forthcoming DCU, especially when combined with comments from both Gunn and Robbie.

The final installment in the DCEU movie order will be the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and while the DCU is popularly seen as a full reboot, James Gunn has repeatedly clarified that it is only a soft reboot. Actors and their respective characters, as well as some plot points and narratives from the old DCEU, can and will carry over into the DCU. Gunn has confirmed that Viola Davis’s Amanda Waller, John Cena’s Peacemaker, and Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle will all join his DCU but, unfortunately, several well-received DCEU characters like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn have yet to officially join Gunn’s upcoming DC movie cast.

Margot Robbie Wants To Return As Harley Quinn

A promising sign that Margot Robbie might play Harley Quinn once again is the actress’s own interest in reprising the role. Although Robbie expressed a desire to take a break from playing Harley Quinn following The Suicide Squad, she later stated in a 2021 interview with ET! Online that she was ready to return to the role. Her words were:

“I’ve had enough of a break. I’m ready to do her again. I did Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad back-to-back, so that was a lot of Harley all in a one year period, but that was a while ago now. I’m always ready for more Harley!”

This interview was conducted over a year before James Gunn became co-CEO of DC Studios and a soft reboot was announced, but Robbie’s desire to return likely has not diminished, as she expressed a desire to see a Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy romance on film someday in a 2022 interview with Variety. Unfortunately, Margot Robbie’s desire to keep playing Harley Quinn – regardless of the soft reboot – does not guarantee that she will return. Gal Gadot has expressed the desire to continue playing Wonder Woman on multiple occasions and Sasha Calle wishes to play the DCU’s Supergirl, yet Gunn has not confirmed any of their DCU futures.

James Gunn Would Work With Margot Robbie Again

The best evidence yet for Margot Robbie playing Harley Quinn in the DCU comes from James Gunn himself. In a 2023 tweet, Gun confirmed that he would work with Margot Robbie again, seemingly confirming that she would survive the soft reboot. Unfortunately, Gunn’s words did not directly confirm that she would stay in his DCU as Harley Quinn, they merely confirmed that he is willing to work with Margot Robbie in some capacity again. With Robbie’s Harley Quinn having appeared in one of Gunn’s two DCEU projects, however, this does bode well for her future in the role.

James Gunn and Peter Safran announced part of their slate of DCU properties in early 2023, though it is worth noting that not all forthcoming DCU projects were included in the announcement. Another season of Peacemaker has been confirmed by Gunn to be in the works multiple times, despite the show being absent from the DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate. It would seem that Gunn’s projects and characters from the DCEU are the most likely to survive the DCU soft reboot, making a return for Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn likely, given her role in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.

Warner Bros Needs Margot Robbie After Barbie’s Success

Margot Robbie starred in 2023’s Barbie, which was an overwhelming critical and commercial success for Warner Bros. Robbie’s performance in the film was, once again, considered one of its many highlights, proving that she has considerable star power. In her previous DCEU appearances, Robbie’s Harley Quinn has always been seen as a high point of her respective films, no matter how well or poorly they performed at the box office or among critics and viewers. Robbie’s success, in both Barbie and the DCEU, justifies her return as Quinn in the DCU. Moreover, the character of Harley Quinn herself is an iconic part of the DC Comics IP.

Having debuted in the DCAU’s Batman: The Animated Series, played by the late Arleen Sorkin, Harley Quinn quickly gained a loyal following among viewers, and it was not long before she entered DC’s comics themselves. Over time, Harley Quinn grew out of The Joker’s shadow and stood on her own, becoming an anti-hero rather than a villain. In their written statement regarding the future of WBD’s DC adaptations, James Gunn and Peter Safran listed Harley Quinn alongside DC heavy-hitters Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. As such, the combination of Harley Quinn’s iconic status and Margot Robbie’s star power is simply too successful for the DCU to pass up.

When Could Harley Quinn Return In The DCU?

Harley Quinn will return to theaters in the forthcoming Joker: Folie à Deux, though the film is not set in the DCU continuity and will feature Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. Of the announced DCU properties in various forms of development, however, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn might reappear in Waller, whose first season is set to premiere sometime in 2024. Considering that Harley Quinn and John Cena’s Peacemaker were both members of Task Force X in The Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn could also show up in the announced second season of Peacemaker. Even a simple cameo or single-episode appearance would confirm that Robbie’s Harley Quinn has joined the DCU.

Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn could also resurface in a new DCU film. A dedicated Harley Quinn solo movie seems unlikely, but another Suicide Squad sequel in the DCU seems quite possible, with Harley joining the movie’s ensemble cast all but guaranteed. Robbie’s Harley Quinn could potentially play a minor role in the upcoming The Brave and the Bold, honoring her origins as a character from the Batman franchise. Margot Robbie may not be confirmed to be the DC Universe’s Harley Quinn yet, but her survival of the soft reboot seems quite likely.