James Gunn, along with Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad actors Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee, have put together a really fun one-off podcast: The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? As the title suggests, they spend the hour breaking down whether Gunn’s 2021 film is actually part of his rebooted DCU. As part of that discussion, Gunn also addressed the possible return of Harley Quinn, and whether Margot Robbie would return to the role she made so popular.
The confusion comes from the fact that Gunn and The Suicide Squad were part of the Zack Snyder-led DCEU initially, as was the first season of Peacemaker. Then Gunn was hired, along with Peter Safran, to launch DC Studios and the rebooted DCU. Some of the characters from Gunn’s projects then crossed over, but certain things don’t quite mesh perfectly. Fans have been confused by it, and so Gunn decided to tackle the issue.
I’ll let you watch the episode yourself to learn what Gunn ultimately decides. It’s well worth watching.
However, on the issue of Robbie and Harley Quinn, Gunn is uncertain.
Gunn said, “I’d say, we have one small asterisk, which is what exactly is the future of Harley Quinn? I want to be given a little leeway with this by the fans because I’m not sure exactly how that’s going to manifest itself.”
“Margot Robbie is one of my favorite actors to work with. She is so good in the movie. She’s so crazy. I love her as Harley. I don’t know if she wants to play Harley again. She may be over that,” adding that she is “kind of the biggest female star in the world.”
However, he’s quick to add that he really wants her back! Gunn said, “If Margot wants to play her, then I’ll bend over backwards to explain that in the world.”
Gunn’s not wrong. Robbie has done a lot far away from the madness that is Harley Quinn, including the massive box office success of Barbie, as well as Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights. Coming up, she has Tim Burton’s Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman, and an Ocean’s Eleven prequel. She first played Harley Quinn in 2016’s Suicide Squad, then reprised the role in Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey in 2020, before continuing in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.
