Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) saw Harley Quinn regaining control over her life now that her relationship with the Joker is over, but after her escape from prison and everything that happens in her new adventure on the big screen, a big question arises: why didn’t ARGUS go after her? DC’s movie universe (unofficially titled DC Extended Universe) is going through some changes after its first wave of movies, which began in 2013 with Man of Steel, didn’t go as expected. The DCEU will continue exploring the stories of characters like Wonder Woman and Aquaman, and will fully retcon others, such as Batman.

First in line was Birds of Prey, marking the return of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn after her introduction in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. Birds of Prey follows Harley Quinn’s post-break up life and her teaming up with Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to keep young Cassandra Cain safe from crime lord Roman Sionis a.k.a. Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). Birds of Prey is set some time after the events of Suicide Squad, meaning that Harley Quinn was already out of jail and back with the Joker.

Related: Birds of Prey Gives Harley Quinn A Better Origin Story Than Suicide Squad

But given all the trouble Harley and company went through in Suicide Squad with ARGUS and Amanda Waller, it seems odd that she was able to run wild and free in Birds of Prey, with her only concerns being where to live, protect Cassandra Cain, and take Sionis down. So, why didn’t ARGUS attempt to get her back?

Birds of Prey: ARGUS and Amanda Waller Didn’t Have a Place in the Story

In Suicide Squad, ARGUS director Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) convinces Washington D.C. officials to allow her to assemble a team of dangerous criminals from Belle Reve special Security Barracks to send them in dangerous black ops missions. The team, called Task Force X, is formed by Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, El Diablo, Killer Croc, and Slipknot, and they agree to take part in the mission in exchange for reduced sentences. By the end of the film, the surviving members were back at Belle Reve with ten years off their sentences and a couple of perks (Harley, for example, had a coffeemaker in her cell). As Harley was enjoying her coffee, the Joker and company broke into the penitentiary and rescued her.

Birds of Prey explained that shortly after that, Harley and the Joker broke up, and he threw her out on the streets of Gotham. Harley kept this a secret as being the Joker’s partner granted her protection in the criminal world, but once word was out, everyone went after her. Harley obviously didn’t lie low, and along with Renee, Black Canary, and Huntress, took Roman and company down. However, she never had to worry about ARGUS and Waller coming for her at any moment as they never showed up. As Birds of Prey is a Harley Quinn story and not a Suicide Squad sequel, Waller and company had no place in the story, which instead focused on Harley’s new life. Their absence will then have to be answered in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, as Birds of Prey didn’t offer an in-universe explanation. Though it’s not bad that ARGUS didn’t go after her, it certainly makes some fans wonder why they let Harley Quinn run free like that.

Next: Everything We Know About Birds Of Prey 2

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