DC reportedly told Harley Quinn writer and executive producer Justin Halpern to remove a season 3 scene of Batman performing oral sex on Catwoman because it didn’t fit with the character’s brand. The HBO Max animated series has taken a more adult-oriented approach to its story and characters since it first premiered on DC Universe. However, it sounds like there are some things even Harley Quinn can’t get away with.
Harley Quinn stars former The Big Bang Theory lead Kaley Cuoco as the eponymous Batman villain, who undergoes a journey of soul-searching and reinvention after breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, the Joker. The series has received widespread critical acclaim for its sharp humor and entertaining new takes on the classic DC universe. In addition to Cuoco, Harley Quinn features a star-studded voice cast including names like Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Tony Hale, Ron Funches, Jason Alexander, J.B. Smoove, Rachel Dratch, Giancarlo Esposito, Michael Ironside, and Rahul Kohli.
So far, Harley Quinn has succeeded largely on its ability to handle DC storylines in a more adult-oriented, darkly comedic way. However, it seems there are still boundaries to what DC will allow on the show. Speaking recently with Variety, executive producer Justin Halpern shared one scene that DC objected to in season 3 – a scene where Batman performs oral sex on Catwoman. According to Halpern, DC objected on the grounds that “Heroes don’t do that.” Read Halpern’s full quote below.
“It’s incredibly gratifying and free to be using characters that are considered villains because you just have so much more leeway… A perfect example of that is in this third season of ‘Harley’ [when] we had a moment where Batman was going down on Catwoman. And DC was like, ‘You can’t do that. You absolutely cannot do that.’ They’re like, ‘Heroes don’t do that.’ So, we said, ‘Are you saying heroes are just selfish lovers?’ They were like, ‘No, it’s that we sell consumer toys for heroes. It’s hard to sell a toy if Batman is also going down on someone.’”
It's no secret that companies are incredibly protective of popular characters like Batman – especially those who appeal to kids as well as adults – but it can be funny to see where exactly they choose to draw the line. According to Halpern, much of the space the Harley Quinn cartoon has been given to stretch and break barriers exists because the core characters are villains, and therefore don't need to adhere to the same strict branding rules as heroes. And with kid-focused merchandising still a huge part of the overall Batman business model, it’s understandable why DC continues to be protective.
Still, it’s curious to hear about DC’s veto given all that Batman has been allowed to do over the years. The character’s darker stories have made him appeal just as much to adults as to kids, and many Batman comics, animated films and live-action movies over the past few decades have dealt with much more adult-oriented subject matter. DC’s line between acceptable and unacceptable behavior for the Dark Knight is curious, but clear: Batman could shoot and kill people in Zack Snyder’s live-action movies, but he can’t perform oral sex on a consenting romantic partner.
Source: Variety