Joker: Folie à Deux’s set pictures reveal a first look at Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn costume, and it is quite different from recent Harley Quinn adaptations. Though Joaquin Phoenix’s return as the Joker in Joker 2 was already enough to justify the sequel, the addition of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn makes Folie à Deux even more exciting. Like Joker (2019), Folie à Deux will not have any ties to the DC Universe – it is a DC Elseworlds film.
Lady Gaga is not replacing Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Whereas Robbie played Harley Quinn in the DCEU, Gaga’s Harley will be part of a self-contained world that will not crossover into other DC properties. Though not much has been revealed about Harley Quinn’s role in Folie à Deux, the first look at Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn costume tells a lot about this new version of the character.
Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn Costume & Makeup Is Very Different To Margot Robbie's
Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn look is quite different from Margot Robbie, which by itself was not like anything in either the DCAU or the DC Comics. Whereas Margot Robbie’s original Harley Quinn look was a mixture of the Arkham games Harley and musician Debbie Harry, Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn costume is a more grounded, simpler take on the character that perfectly fits the realism of the Joker universe. Gaga’s Harley wears a vibrant scarlet jacket on top of a white shirt with black diamonds in it, and the eye makeup evokes Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker look. It is important to notice that Robbie's DCEU Harley Quinn has had multiple costumes already.
Essentially, Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn costume went for a red and black color scheme – which is closer to Harley Quinn’s classic look – whereas Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn originally went for pink and blue. It was only in The Suicide Squad that Robbie’s Harley costume was mostly red and black, although Harley Quinn did appear in her classic jester suit during Suicide Squad’s Joker and Harley montage. It must also be noticed that Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn fell into a vat of acid and that her pale skin does not stem from makeup in-universe. Gaga’s Harley, on the other hand, is wearing similar makeup to Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck.
Which DC Comics & Shows Is Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn Costume Inspired By?
By going for the red and black color scheme, Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn costume is evoking Harley’s original look from Batman: The Animated Series. Harley Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for Batman: The Animated Series, and what initially was supposed to be a background villain in a Joker-focused episode is now considered one of DC Comics’ most important characters. That said, Gaga’s Harley Quinn costume is not that similar to Harley’s red and black jester suit, although the colors are an intentional callback. The diamonds in Harley’s shirt and in her eye makeup also reference Harley’s original DCAU costume, which had diamonds drawn in it.
The biggest source of inspiration for Gaga’s Harley Quinn costume, however, is a deep-cut DC reference. Mia Sara played Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey, a short-lived show based on DC’s Birds of Prey that ran for 13 episodes. In this version, Harley continued to work as Dr. Quinzel while operating as a villain in New Gotham. Therefore, Birds of Prey’s Harley Quinn would often appear in civilian clothes rather than in a traditional Harley costume. The closest thing a Birds of Prey Harley Quinn look saw the character with a red sweater dressed on top of a white shirt with black diamonds, similar to what Gaga’s Harley is wearing.
Why Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn Costume Is Perfect For Joker 2
Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn costume feels like it belongs to the Joker movie universe, which should be the first goal when adding such an important DC Comics character into a unique universe. Todd Phillips’ Joker was not necessarily comic-accurate, as it was not trying to adapt a particular comic book run or reference too many other Batman characters. Joker removed its titular character from the more fantastical DC Universe and placed him in a rather realistic scenario, which is why Harley Quinn’s costume for Joker 2 works so well. However, despite fitting into the realism of Joker, Gaga’s Harley Quinn costume still managed to reference the source material.
It is difficult to imagine Harley Quinn’s classic jester costume working in something like Joker 2 – not even the more comic bookish DCEU ever used as Harley’s main costume. Gaga’s Harley Quinn costume – which could be one of many – highlights some of the elements that are most commonly associated with Harley, which includes the red and black color scheme and the diamonds. Most importantly, Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn look in Joker: Folie à Deux feels like it was inspired by the Joker, which makes sense considering how the first Joker ended. Arthur Fleck’s actions seem to have inspired many in Gotham, including Harleen Quinzel.
