One of DC Comics’ most popular heroes is appearing on the big screen for the second time with Margot Robbie returning as Harley Quinn for Birds of Prey, premiering in theaters this weekend. It’s been an interesting road for Robbie’s version of the character, who debuted in Suicide Squad and is also set to show up in the sequel-meets-reboot coming next year. But Robbie is surprised that Harley Quinn has emerged as a fan-favorite; while the character has been highly regarded by fans since her debut in Batman: The Animated Series, Robbie’s portrayal helped push her to even greater heights.
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This has been a major surprise for Robbie, who told BBC Radio 1 that she didn’t anticipate this popularity when she first signed on for Suicide Squad.
“It’s so funny because when I signed on to play Harley Quinn, there wasn’t a script yet for Suicide Squad,” Robbie said. “And all that I was really going off of was a Skype conversation with David Ayer and he had described two scenes he had in his head and I loved the idea of them. They just sounded so cool and bizarre. I really was picturing it as being a much smaller film that was going to get very little attention, especially since it was going to be a squad of people.”
Robbie said that she thought Harley would be overshadowed by many of the other characters in the ensemble, but it didn’t turn out that way.
“Life changed pretty quickly,” she added.
Robbie will reprise the role for a third time next year with The Suicide Squad, the soft reboot written and directed by James Gunn. Robbie previously spoke with ComicBook.com about the differences in Harley’s portrayal from Birds of Prey to the next Suicide Squad movie, teasing that fans will see a different side of the character.
“You get to see another side of Harley,” Robbie explained. “It’s interesting. You keep getting to meet her at different points in her life, as if a couple of years have gone by. Of course, the films aren’t directly connected, but as an actor, I can map it out in a chronological sense. So, it’s fun to see ‘Okay, what was she like a couple of years ago when she was with Mister J?’ ‘What is she like now, after they’ve broken up? And what is she going to be like in another couple of years’ time?’ I love seeing her at these different stages of her life.”
Birds of Prey premieres in theaters this weekend.
