On Wednesday, Warner Bros. announced that a Joker and Harley Quinn movie was in the works. The news — which followed the announcement of a Joker origin movie unconnected from the DC Extended Universe — wasn’t a huge surprise considering that the film had been hinted about back in July, but fan reaction was somewhat negative or at least disappointed.
With concerns about there being too many Joker-related projects announced, fans wanting to see other stories involving Harley and those with concerns about the nature of Harley and Joker’s relationship, there are a lot of ways that DC could miss the mark with a movie about the duo. But could they actually make the movie work for fans?
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Read on for ways DC and Warner Bros. could get the Joker and Harley Quinn movie right.
Don’t let the film get in the way of other DC film projects
One of the first rumors to surface following the announcement of the Joker and Harley movie was that the planned Gotham City Sirens film would be scrapped. Sirens would unite Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn with Catwoman and Poison Ivy as a bad girl team. With the Poison Ivy/Harley Quinn relationship in comics being popular, fans have been excited to see things play out on the big screen. And while it sounds like there are still plans to go forward with the film, there really isn’t a timeline.
Another film that fans are concerned could be put on the back burner by a Joker/Harley film is the Flash movie. While it was confirmed at San Diego Comic Con in July that the film would be called Flashpoint, there aren’t a lot of other details about the film. Flashpoint reportedly is without a director and while a 2020 release date is expected, nothing has been confirmed yet.
Less Joker, More Harley
The announcements of the Joker/Harley movie, the Joker origin movie and the confirmation of Jared Leto for Suicide Squad 2 was a whole lot of Joker for fans to take in all at once. And while the Clown Prince of Crime is one of Batman’s most popular villains there might just be too much of a (wickedly) good thing. On social media, fans continue to make clear that they want to see more of Margo Robbie’s Harley. The obvious way for that to happen is to keep moving forward with Gotham City Sirens, but should that film not pan out making sure that Harley is more than the Joker’s lovesick sidekick in the Joker/Harley movie would ensure that fans get plenty of the former Dr. Quinzel.
Treat the Joker/Harley relationship carefully
In comics, Joker and Harley do not have a healthy relationship. Theirs is one filled with physical violence, mental abuse and mental health concerns. The Joker is often seen harming or belittling (and sometimes trying to kill) Harley in what some see as a glorification of violence against women. One thing that Suicide Squad did well was to subtly shift to the dynamic of their relationship. It’s still not healthy by any stretch, but the Joker is shown caring for Harley a little more than what is seen in comics. It gave an unexpected dimension to the twisted couple and with the Joker/Harley movie described as a “criminal love story,” building on love part and keeping the violence in the crime part could give audiences a fresh new look at the demented duo.
