New Harley Quinn Movie Look Is Based on the Comics

DC Comics fans are seeing direct inspiration from the comics in Harley Quinn’s new look for the Birds of Prey movie.

On Monday, Warner Bros. released the first teaser for Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), including the first look at Margot Robbie‘s return as Harley. Fans on Reddit noticed a similarity between Robbie’s new look and how Harley was drawn in the Aquaman and Suicide Squad crossover story “Sink Atlantis.

Take a look below.

DC Comics published “Sink Atlantis” in 2018. Robbie made her debut as Harley in the 2016 film Suicide Squad. The movie has influenced how Harley is drawn in DC’s comics, especially in Suicide Squad series, though Robbie’s new Harley hairstyle may be influenced by this artwork. Either way, it’s just another example of the neverending ouroboros of comics providing material for movies, and then those movies influencing how the characters they were based on are portrayed.

Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad was a big enough hit that it spawned several spinoff movie ideas. Birds of Prey is the first of those ideas to begin work. The film sees Harley crossing paths with some of DC Comics’ most fearsome street-level heroines, including Black Canary, Huntress, and Renee Montoya. Robbie is also a producer on the film.

Cathy Han is directing the Birds of Prey movie from a script written by Christina Hodson. Hodson has previously explained the appeal of these characters.

“I just fell in love with Harley,” Hodson said of the character. “She makes me laugh, but she also makes me cry…She’s got such emotional depth that is completely contrasted by this light, superficial, fun exterior. Even in the comics when she is at her best, she’s doing something bad — and when she’s at her worst she’s doing something good. And that makes her so interesting and so much more real because that’s what people are like in real life. Very few people are just purely heroic or purely villainous, and she is this wonderful balance of everything.

“This, I can say: [Robbie] is an amazing producer. She’s so dedicated, cares so much, she is in it and works so hard — looks through every choice, reads through every draft, and has super-smart notes. I am all about finding good people you believe in as human beings as well as being good creative partners and producers, because it’s an investment — writing these movies takes it out of you. I’m also just excited that [director Cathy Yan] is a woman and she’s Asian. That’s a big deal.”

Are you excited about the Birds of Prey movie? Let us know in the comments!

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn) opens in theaters on February 7, 2020.

Upcoming DC Extended Universe movies include Shazam on April 5th, and Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020.