Birds of Prey: When Harley Quinn's Movie Is Set In The DCEU Timeline
Here's when Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) takes place in the DC Extended Universe timeline. Warner Bros. and DC Films have spent the last seven years building a superhero cinematic universe that could rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 2013's Man of Steel planted some seeds, but it was in 2016 with the releases of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad that the universe was firmly established. The plan the studios had has changed drastically over the years, but Birds of Prey marks the latest movie to build on what came before.
The movie takes Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and puts her in a leading role after her breakout performance in Suicide Squad. Although Birds of Prey is focused on Harley, it also introduces several other noteworthy DC characters to the universe. Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) debut as new vigilantes, while Gotham City Police Department detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) builds a case against the crime lord Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). This ensemble allows Birds of Prey to focus on the story at hand - the search for Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) and a coveted diamond - but it does still include ties to the DCEU.
As a result, there may be some viewers who wonder when Birds of Prey takes place in the DCEU's timeline. The film plainly establishes that Harley's new adventure is a progression of her arc and places Birds of Prey after Suicide Squad in canon. One of the biggest examples of this comes with how the movie builds on Suicide Squad's ending, where Joker freed Harley from Belle Reve prison. In Birds of Prey, the two have broken up, which serves as the catalyst for Harley's story. She also specifically mentions that she saved the world in the past, referencing Task Force X fighting Enchantress in Midway City.
Beyond knowing that Birds of Prey takes place after Suicide Squad, it isn't clear how much time has passed since then. There are no larger universe clues that reveal if this movie takes place before or after Justice League, Aquaman, or Shazam. At this point, knowing specifically when Birds of Prey takes place doesn't change the timeline too much either way, as it can easily fit before, alongside, or after any of those films and not have an impact on them.
As far as the future of the DCEU is concerned, Birds of Prey takes place before The Suicide Squad. Harley will return for the James Gunn-directed movie, but how and when she is brought back to Task Force X remains to be seen. She isn't the only DC character in Birds of Prey who will appear in the sequel either, as one of the movie's Easter eggs was a wanted poster for Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney). The Australian criminal is part of The Suicide Squad's cast as well, but he managed to break out of Belle Reve prison too. With both characters returning for The Suicide Squad, they'll need to be recaptured after what Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) did for the DCEU.