James Gunn Teases Harley Quinn’s Journey in The Suicide Squad

After the neon-hued delight that was Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), Margot Robbie‘s take on Dr. Harleen Quinzel is set to return next year in The Suicide Squad. The film, which will be written and directed by James Gunn, will be Harley’s latest appearance in the DC universe — and it looks like it will be a significant one. As Gunn recently revealed in the comments of his Instagram, Harley will go on a “journey” within the film. While he mentioned it in response to a fan asking how many costumes she’ll have in the film, so it’s safe to assume the journey will be both narrative and aesthetic.

“I can tell you that it’s going to be incredible,” Robbie explained of the film in a previous interview. “And again, it’s just interesting to see what a different filmmaker makes of Gotham and these characters and Harley, really. I’m fascinated by what James Gunn finds interesting in her compared to what [Birds of Prey director] Cathy [Yan] finds interesting, compared to what [Suicide Squad director] David [Ayer] found interesting about her. [James is] such a comic book lover, so it’s going to be rooted in the source material, which is always important to me.”

“You get to see another side of Harley [in The Suicide Squad],” Robbie recently explained to ComicBook.com. “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.”

The Suicide Squad is also expected to include Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Steve Agee as King Shark, Daniela Melichior as Ratcatcher, and John Cena as Peacemaker. Flula Borg, Nathan Fillion, Mayling Ng, Pete Davidson, Sean Gunn, Joaquin Cosio, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Taika Waititi, Alice Braga, Tinashe Kajese, Peter Capaldi, Julio Ruiz, Jennifer Holland, Idris Elba, and Michael Rooker have all been cast in currently-unknown roles.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is in theaters now. Other upcoming DC movies include Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5th, The Batman on June 25, 2021, The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021, Black Adam on December 22, 2021, Shazam! 2 on April 1, 2022, The Flash on July 1, 2022, and Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022.