Credit: Warner Bros.As DC Studios prepares to make some significant changes behind the scenes, a critical figure from the “SnyderVerse” recently cast doubt on her franchise return and shared her intent to pass the torch to other actresses ahead of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU reboot.
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The times are a-changin’ for Warner Bros.’ once-mighty superhero subsidiary, DC Studios, which has been the unfortunate victim of several high-profile box office flops in recent years. Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam (2022) failed to break even on its estimated production budget of between $190 million and $260 million, while the Zachary Levi-fronted Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) brought in a worldwide haul of just $133.8 million.
To remedy their financial woes, Warner Bros. tapped Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran to lead DC’s film, TV, and animation efforts as co-chairmen of DC Studios back in October 2022, meaning the duo will essentially reboot the franchise from scratch. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) marked the final film in the DCEU’s 10-year-long run, and now, it’s up to Gunn and Safran to save DC from certain doom with their first phase, “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.” And it sounds like one iconic character isn’t exactly part of their master plan: Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.
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Since making her debut in Suicide Squad (2016), Robbie’s Harley Quinn has become a full-blown pop culture phenomenon, going on to star in her very own solo film, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) in 2020, and again in James Gunn’s anti-hero team-up flick, The Suicide Squad (2021). Although she’s long established herself as a fan-favorite DCEU character, her future with the franchise remains uncertain — in live-action, at least — as Gunn has long been vocal about his plans to recast key players in his rebooted DCU.
So, does this mean Dr. Harleen Quinzel is being left behind? Well, nothing’s for sure, but it sounds like Margot Robbie might be planning to hang up Harley’s bat now that Lady Gaga is playing the character in the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux (2024). Speaking with Variety, Robbie explained that she “always wanted Harley to be a character that would get passed on to other actresses,” adding that she can “go in so many different directions:”
I always wanted Harley to be a character that would get passed on to other actresses to play, the way there are so many iconic male characters. That was always the dream for her.
Harley’s so fun and can go in so many different directions. You put her in someone else’s hands, and it’s like, “What are they going to do with her?” The options are endless.
Without offering much of an answer, Robbie seems to be alluding to the fact that other actresses have — and will — take up the mantle of Harley Quinn and that the versatility of the character is what makes her so captivating to audiences. This could suggest that she is indeed planning to retire from the role now that Safran and Gunn are running things at DC Studios. Plus, with Robbie more than likely to earn an Oscar nom for her role in Gerta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023) and her production company Luckychap on the rise, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear that she’s leaving her superhero days behind her.
However, Robbie could have simply been responding to the interviewer’s question about Lady Gaga taking over the role for Folie à Deux. After all, many performers have put their own unique spins on Harley Quinn throughout the years, including Arleen Sorkin, Kaley Cuoco, and Tara Strong, with many of these projects airing concurrently with Robbie’s portrayal in the DCEU. And considering that Gunn has hinted that he might bring her back for future projects, the ball is certainly in Robbie’s court.
Ultimately, Margot Robbie isn’t wrong in saying that other actresses playing Harley Quinn will help to secure the character’s legacy — though it sounds like she’s just as in the dark about her DCU future as fans are. While it would be a shame to see such a beloved actress step away from the comic book franchise that helped make her a household name, perhaps it’s for the best that a new chapter for DC Studios will, unfortunately, need a new Harley Quinn along with it.
Do you think Margot Robbie should appear in the DCU? Let us know in the comments below!