DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn finally confirmed the DCU canon status of 2021's The Suicide Squad, but with one notable issue surrounding Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. Robbie's version of Harley Quinn quickly became one of the most popular and defining portrayals of the character in live-action. The actress brought the DC villain to life in David Ayer's Suicide Squad before returning in the 2020 spinoff Birds of Prey and ultimately leaving a mark in Gunn's The Suicide Squad. When James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios and launched the DCU, Robbie's Harley Quinn stayed in limbo for years. Still, this doesn't change the fact that Gunn had high praise for working with Margot Robbie, noting in August 2020 that she is "probably the best actor [he] ever worked with."
The uncertainty surrounding Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn finally received some clarity in the new one-off podcast, The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? The Official Podcast that was released on Spotify on October 29. While confirming that 2021's The Suicide Squad is canon to the DCU, Gunn admitted that Harley Quinn's canon status is "one small asterisk:"
"I think that 'The Suicide Squad' is within the canon of the DCU. It’s decided. 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."
In the same podcast episode, Gunn called Harley "one of the more difficult things" to justify as being canon in the DCU, largely because the DCU has not yet established the Joker in this universe at all.
"[Joker's] not mentioned by name, so it doesn't outright say their breakup. So I would say TBD. Harley's relationship to the Joker is specific, right? Well, we definitely haven't established the Joker yet in the DCU at all. We've established Batman; we've already seen that he exists. And obviously Joker is a part of Harley's past."
Gunn revealed two paths he outlined entirely depend on Margot Robbie.
If the actress wants to continue, the DC Studios boss would welcome her with open arms. Gunn said he loves her performance, noting that Robbie is "so good in the movie" and he "loves her as Harley."
He also confirmed that Harley is a character he would "almost certainly going to use in the DCU," and if Robbie wants to play her, then he would "bend over backward to explain that in the world" so her version and the film's events stay consistent.
However, if she doesn't, then Gunn "might go with somebody else" to give a fresh start for the Harley Quinn role in the DCU:
"But if she doesn’t, then I might go with somebody else, where I don’t have to be attached to what happens to Harley in this movie. That's really the situation."
In that case, The Suicide Squad can remain largely canon overall, but Harley's specific continuity from it would be looser or not as locked in.
In the announcement of the DCU's fresh start under Gunn and Safran, Harley Quinn was listed as one of the most important anchors of this new universe, a point recently reaffirmed on the new podcast.
Robbie herself previously said in a 2024 interview with Variety that she envisioned Harley as a character that could be passed to other actresses, like many long-running comic roles.
"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 such a fun character and there are so many different directions you could take her. To see someone else take that on, it’s just exciting because the possibilities are endless."
At this point, Margot Robbie's DCU future as Harley Quinn remains on the bubble, but Harley Quinn the character is all but confirmed to make an appearance at some point in this expansive shared universe.
Why A Fresh Start Is Needed for The DCU's Harley Quinn
Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is perhaps one of, if not the most recognizable DC characters in live-action in the past decade, so the idea of seeing a different actress portray her in the DCU has always been a sensitive one for fans.
Robbie's three-film run as the character turned Harley Quinn into a mainstream pop-culture icon and made Robbie's take feel definitive to viewers. The fan attachment to Robbie's portrayal of Harley Quinn is exactly why the majority finds it hard to accept Gunn's comments about moving on with a new actress.
Either way, a fresh start for Harley Quinn in the DCU makes sense for both creative and practical reasons, even considering Margot Robbie's iconic run. It's worth noting that Robbie's version is tightly tied to specific narrative circumstances, such as having already cut ties with the Joker and developed a more independent identity. Forcing Robbie's post-Joker Harley would be tricky and one that would require constant explanation whenever she appears.
Seeing a new actress play Harley aligns with the current upside trend in the DCU. David Corenswet proved that he can rise to the occasion as the new Superman, and Kyle Chandler and John Stewart recently made memorable debuts as Hal Jordan and John Stewart in Lanterns. Giving an up-and-coming actress a chance to portray Harley Quinn offers the DCU endless storytelling options and longevity, and lets the character be shaped for the stories Gunn actually wants to tell.
