Harley Quinn Actress Margot Robbie Breaks Silence on Lady Gaga Taking Over the Role for Joker 2

As the live-action DC multiverse has ebbed and flowed over the years, there have been some undeniable bright spots, including Margot Robbie's take on Harley Quinn. Across Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), and The Suicide Squad, Robbie's portrayal of the antihero has earned a warm response from critics and fans alike, with some fans regarding her to be one of the strongest superhero movie castings yet. This made the news that Lady Gaga has seemingly been cast as an alternate universe version of the character in 2024's Joker: Folie a Deux a little surprising for some, especially when we're still not exactly sure where Robbie's Harley will be seen onscreen next. But in a recent interview with MTV News, Robbie expressed excitement at the alternate portrayal of Harley, in part because it shows how strong the character has become.

"It makes me so happy, because I said from the very beginning that all I want is for Harley Quinn to be one of those characters, the way Macbeth or Batman, always gets passed from great actor to great actor," Robbie explained. "It's kind of like someone gets to do their Batman, or someone gets to do their Macbeth. I feel like, in not so many cases, are they female characters — Queen Elizabeth I, but beyond that, which I got to have a crack out as well, which I was honored to do. I was like, 'Wow! Cate Blanchett did Queen Elizabeth I. Now I get to.' It's such an honor to have built a foundation strong enough that Harley can now be one of those characters that other actors get to have a go at playing. And I think she'll do something incredible with it."

When The Suicide Squad premiered last year, rumors had swirled that Robbie would be taking a hiatus from playing the role — but she later confirmed that that wasn't the case. More recently, The Suicide Squad director James Gunn seemed to coyly hint at the return of Robbie's Harley, potentially in one of his spinoff projects for HBO Max.

"No, I've had enough of a break. I'm ready to do her again," Robbie revealed at the time. "I did Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad back-to-back, so that was a lot of Harley all in a one year period, but that was a while ago now. I'm always ready for more Harley!"

What do you think of Margot Robbie's reaction to Lady Gaga playing Harley Quinn? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Joker: Folie a Deux is set to be released in theaters on October 4, 2024.