Margot Robbie May Not Return As Harley Quinn? James Gunn Reveals DCU Future

Fans who have been waiting for Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn to turn up in the new DC Universe just got a reality check. DC Studios boss James Gunn has said he is not sure the actor wants to play the character again, and that is not the only wrinkle.

What Did James Gunn Say About Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn?

Gunn spoke about it on The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? The Official Podcast, which went live on October 29. He said he loves her as Harley, but does not know if she wants to do it again and that she "may be over that." He also called Robbie one of his favourite actors to work with, and said he has no clue where her head is on the whole thing.

If she says no, he has a plan. Gunn said he might go with someone else, so he would not have to stay tied to what happened to Harley in earlier films.

 

 

 

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Will Harley Quinn Be Part Of The New DCU?

Yes, with or without Robbie. Gunn confirmed that Harley is a character he will almost certainly use in the DCU. So the question has quietly changed. It is no longer "will Harley come back?" but "whose Harley will it be?"

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Why Is Harley Quinn So Hard To Fit Into The DCU Canon?

This is where the story gets interesting. Gunn said Harley is one of the hardest things to justify as canon, because the Joker has not been set up in his universe yet. Robbie's Harley was written around that toxic relationship in Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey, and the second film was about her walking away from it.

Gunn did say that The Suicide Squad itself counts as canon, with Harley as the one small asterisk. If Robbie is on board, he says he will bend over backwards to explain it within the DCU.

So the real hurdle may not be Robbie's schedule at all. It may be a story problem. A Harley with no Joker and no past is a very different character from the one audiences already know.

 

 

 

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What Has Robbie's Career Got To Do With It?

A lot, actually. Gunn described her as kind of the biggest female star in the world now. The Harley Robbie first played in 2016 belonged to a young actor still on the rise. Today she is a producer with a long list of big projects of her own, and a comic-book role is no longer something she needs.

Gunn's own stance has shifted a little too. Back in January 2024, he said he had no plans for anyone other than Robbie to play Harley. Now he is openly keeping a second option on the table. There is also the small matter that Lady Gaga already played the character in Joker: Folie à Deux.

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Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn: What Happens Next?

For now, nothing is official. No casting, no announcement, no film with Harley's name on it. Robbie has played the character in three films, Suicide Squad in 2016, Birds of Prey in 2020 and The Suicide Squad in 2021, and fans who grew up on that version are understandably protective of it.

The door has not been shut. But it has not been held wide open either. If Robbie wants Harley back, Gunn is ready to make room. If she does not, someone new will get the mallet. Either way, Harley Quinn is coming to the DCU, and the only thing left to settle is who gets to play her.

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