Margot Robbie’s DCU Harley Quinn Return Is Closer Than Ever

Warning: This article contains minor SPOILERS for Lanterns season 1, episode 6, "Bad Optics."Despite being a late addition to DC's impressive roster of characters, Harley Quinn has had a huge impact on the superhero franchise over the past few decades and has become a real fan favorite. With each appearance, Harley has grown and changed drastically, but Margot Robbie's interpretation of the villain-turned-anti-hero is one of the most iconic.

Arleen Sorkin laid the groundwork for this complex character that debuted in Batman: The Animated Series back in the 1990s, but Margot Robbie's version of Harley was a true cultural phenomenon. Robbie first played the character in 2016's Suicide Squad, before getting her own film with Birds of Prey, eventually making her final appearance in 2021's The Suicide Squad.

This was arguably her best outing, but with James Gunn taking over the DC universe and launching a hard reboot, it left Robbie's fate up in the air. Many characters were recast, yet Gunn kept aspects of The Suicide Squad canon since he directed it, with the likes of John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Jennifer Holland, and Steve Agee reprising their roles.

Unfortunately, five years later, we still don't know the fate of the other surviving members from TSS, but Lanterns just offered some hope that Robbie could return as Harley Quinn in the future. The controversial DCU show has been making headlines every week, with Lanterns episode 6 featuring numerous Easter Eggs and references.

While some of these included nods to the comics and even this universe's Batman — who is yet to be introduced — the opening sequence also saw John Stewart briefly mention Starro's attack from The Suicide Squad. With Creature Commandos also mentioning this incident, more and more of the movie is starting to look like official canon.

According to the movie, Harley was responsible for delivering the killing blow to Starro, which is hard to rewrite, even if Gunn is sticking with his selective canon approach. Therefore, with the DCU doubling down on this event happening, Harley was almost certainly a big part of the mission, giving Robbie's version the license to return.

The DCU Is Better Off With Margot Robbie As Harley Quinn

As things stand, it seems like James Gunn still hasn't made a concrete decision on who he wants to play Harley Quinn going forward in the DCU, but Margot Robbie is the logical choice. First and foremost, she is a massive star capable of drawing box office numbers, and she already has lots of experience with the character.

There is no question about whether she is capable of portraying the fan favorite, and she would feel like a safe yet comforting pick. Additionally, she has already proven to have great chemistry with the likes of John Cena, and could no doubt thrive in more Suicide Squad projects or something Batman-related.

Harley Quinn is a big name in the world of DC, so it only feels right having someone of Robbie's caliber continuing this role for a while longer. The fact that we've never seen her interact with Batman, Poison Ivy, or most of Gotham's most famous figures is a tragedy, and something Robbie deserves a chance at before hanging up the bat.

Having the actress continue this role would also avoid further complaints about retconning. As much as Gunn has tried to reboot the DC universe, The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker are outliers, so at least having the same Harley Quinn from the 2021 movie would offer clarity on what is and isn't official DCU canon.

For those who do want to see Margot Robbie recast in the DCU to make way for a new version of Harley instead, Matt Reeves' universe could still offer that opportunity. A much darker, twisted take on the jester could be included in The Batman Part II or beyond, allowing Robbie to continue her role, while still getting a fresh Harley Quinn elsewhere.

Lanterns’ Suicide Squad Reference Opens The Door To Other Returns

Now that Lanterns has reinforced the idea that Starro's attack from The Suicide Squad did in fact happen in the DCU, it opens the door for more characters to return. Many of these anti-heroes died during the mission, but we've already seen Weasel and briefly King Shark involved in Creature Commandos, confirming these characters are still around.

As a result, Idris Elba's Bloodsport could make another appearance, having been essentially the leader of the Suicide Squad during the 2021 film. Likewise, Daniela Melchior reprising her role as Ratcatcher II would be welcomed, as she provided a real emotional core to the movie, with the character having so much room still to develop.

It's hard to picture either of these figures returning for a solo project, but seeing them as part of another Suicide Squad movie, or tying into the wider DCU, would be a nice touch. Seeing as Peacemaker, Amanda Waller, Harcourt, and Economos have all been back in some capacity, Bloodsport and Ratcatcher join Harley as the only real loose ends.

Bringing all three back would give the DCU plenty of star power, add familiar characters to the new universe, and set up a new Suicide Squad, settling once and for all the film's canon status. The DC movie deserved better at the box office and is easily one of the franchise's best of the last decade, thanks to its vibrant cast of characters.

It only makes sense then to bring as many back as possible, and with Daniela Melchior expressing interest in returning and Gunn himself actively looking for ways to bring Elba's Bloodsport back, the door remains fully open. Fortunately, this small Lanterns scene reignites hopes of these returns becoming reality, which would heavily bolster the already star-studded DCU.

Harley Quinn's Return Still Wouldn't Solve The DCU's Batman Problem

Even if Margot Robbie does make her grand return as Harley Quinn, the DCU's big Batman problem will persist. As the DCU continues to set up Batman's arrival through Lanterns and Clayface, we're still no closer to actually getting confirmation on who will play the Caped Crusader in James Gunn's universe.

Robert Pattinson is currently providing us with a fantastic live-action Bruce Wayne, yet his projects remain separate from the DCU, which hasn't cast anyone for the part. Creature Commandos already showed Batman briefly in action without officially tying anyone to the role, and Lanterns has referenced him and Gotham on numerous occasions.

Clayface's release next month will surely allude to DC's flagship hero once again, but when he'll actually arrive remains a mystery. With The Batman Part II almost certainly bound to debut before the DCU's Batman, this problem will only get worse, as Matt Reeves' original 2022 movie was one of DC's most acclaimed in years.

There has already been a big movement for Pattinson's Batman to be the official DCU one, but that doesn't appear to be happening. Therefore, assuming The Batman series continues beyond the second movie, it'll be hard to balance two live-action versions simultaneously, and the DCU's could become an afterthought.

As nice as it would be for Robbie to return as Harley Quinn and end the lingering issues with The Suicide Squad's continuity, the DCU has bigger fish to fry, as getting Batman right is crucial. With the Dark Knight's teases continuing to ramp up, we can only pray Batman's debut in Gunn's universe isn't too far away.

Until then, there remain some big concerns about how DC will handle having two Batmen at once, an obstacle the superhero franchise can hopefully overcome by offering two equally interesting, yet very different interpretations when the time comes.