What’s Next For Harley Quinn In The DCEU? Future Explained
Now that The Suicide Squad is out, what is next for Margot Robbie's future as Harley Quinn in the DC Extended Universe? Warner Bros. and DC Films have given fans a lot of Harley Quinn in recent years, with The Suicide Squad marking her third appearance in five years. Her return continues the character's arc after Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and puts Harley back in the familiar territory of being part of Task Force X.
Harley Quinn has one of the biggest roles in The Suicide Squad, even though the majority of the movie focuses on new characters who weren't in the first film with her. She starts James Gunn's DCEU movie as part of Amanda Waller's bad Suicide Squad team and was thought to have died. Instead, she nearly falls for a rising dictator before noticing some red flags - like threatening to kill children - and killing him instead. Harley then teams up with the main Task Force X squad - Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Ratcatcher 2, Polka-Dot Man, King Shark, and Rick Flag - to stop Project Starfish.
Margot Robbie's debut as Harley Quinn in 2016's Suicide Squad immediately made her a fan-favorite character, and she's still clearly someone who has a bright future in the DCEU after The Suicide Squad. Robbie's success as an actress and Harley Quinn's continued popularity, especially with the animated Harley Quinn series on HBO Max, should ensure that Harleen Quinzel will be back. Here's what we know about Harley Quinn's DCEU future after The Suicide Squad.
The Suicide Squad's ending leaves Harley Quinn's DCEU future wide open. As she and the rest of the Suicide Squad learned more about Project Starfish, Rick Flag downloaded information that confirmed the United States of America's role in the experiment. Even though Peacemaker killed Flag to try and keep these details from getting out, Ratcatcher 2 saved the drive and Bloodsport later took it. He used the drive as blackmail against Amanda Waller to negotiate that he, King Shark, Ratcatcher 2, and Harley go free. So, instead of going back to Belle Reve, Harley Quinn is back on the streets and available to cause more chaos.
The last time Harley is seen in The Suicide Squad, she is boarding a transport vehicle with other Task Force X survivors Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2, and King Shark after securing their freedom. There is no sign of where they are going, although it is teased that Harley and Bloodsport could stick together, as she offers to be his friend. Without knowing what their destination is, all The Suicide Squad sets up for Harley's future is that anything is possible. She could go anywhere and be with anybody, giving the character free rein to appear wherever the studios or Robbie want her to next.
An important step in determining what's next for Harley Quinn's DCEU future is whether or not Margot Robbie wants to continue playing her. Thankfully, she said during the press tour for The Suicide Squad that she'd love to keep playing her. Robbie has a clear affection for Harley and has proven to be the perfect choice to bring her to life on the big screen. It is unknown if WB and DC already have a contract with the actress, though, for more Harley Quinn appearances. She mentioned when she first agreed to play the role for Suicide Squad that she may have signed over the next 10 years of her life, but that was likely more of a figure of speech. If she doesn't have a multi-film contract ongoing, Robbie will have significant leverage to get anything she wants to keep playing Harley.
Even with Margot Robbie's interest in playing Harley Quinn in the future, WB and DC have yet to confirm where she will appear next. Fans had the comfort of knowing for a while that she would be in Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad within a relatively short timeframe. Now that both of those films have been released, it is surprising that the next Harley Quinn project hasn't been revealed already. There were multiple Harley Quinn movies featuring Margot Robbie in development prior to Birds of Prey, but all of the other ideas appeared to fizzle after the studios and Robbie agreed that Birds of Prey was the best option. That could mean that movies like The Joker & Harley Quinn and Gotham City Sirens are still in consideration, but no public announcements have been made about where Harley will pop up next in the DCEU.
Since there is no confirmed next appearance for Harley Quinn, that leaves her DCEU future up for speculation and debate. In terms of Harley-led projects, it will be fascinating to see what WB and DC decide to do with her current potential franchises. Birds of Prey's box office takings were widely viewed as a disappointment after earning only $201 million worldwide, but it was mostly well-received from critics and general audiences. The Suicide Squad is a huge hit with critics and audiences, but its box office will struggle due to COVID-19. The lack of plans for either franchise to continue could be worrisome to fans, but it is difficult to imagine one of them not getting a sequel at some point. However, The Suicide Squad makes it unlikely that Harley will be part of another Task Force X team. There is even the chance that Margot Robbie signs on to star in a Harley Quinn live-action HBO Max series eventually.
There is also still a chance that Harley Quinn's next DCEU appearance is already planned for an upcoming and officially announced project. Depending on the plot of Peacemaker, perhaps John Cena's peace-loving villain will cross paths with Harley. That could be a fun supporting appearance for Robbie to have and even help set up her next solo project. Harley could also potentially make an appearance in HBO Max's Batgirl movie starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon. If Harley returns to Gotham after The Suicide Squad to reunite with the Birds of Prey and Cassandra Cain, a run-in with Batgirl could be in the cards. There really is no limit to Harley Quinn's DCEU future, so Robbie's love for the character could even result in a multiverse cameo in The Flash or a completely out-of-left-field cameo in another DCEU movie. Harley Quinn's DCEU future might not be crystal clear after The Suicide Squad, but fans shouldn't worry about not seeing Margot Robbie play her again.