Harley Quinn has a new tattoo in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad - and it's a smart payoff for Birds of Prey. Introduced as a background character in the classic Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn soon made her way into the comics. By 2016, DC Publisher Jim Lee was telling CBR she was considered their "fourth pillar," after Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. And her popularity has only grown due to Margot Robbie's tremendous performance in the DCEU.

It helps that Harley Quinn has had a very distinct character arc. She was still obsessed with the Joker in David Ayer's The Suicide Squad; the relationship was clearly abusive even though many of the key Harley/Joker scenes were cut or reshot. But the Clown Prince of Crime kicked Harley out in Birds of Prey, and she resolved to be her own woman. Harley Quinn is better than ever without the Joker, and she's determined to prove it. No doubt James Gunn's The Suicide Squad will present her with the perfect opportunity to do so; Harley played a key role in the recently-released behind-the-scenes footage, wreaking havoc as an anarchic member of Task Force X.

Related: The Suicide Squad BTS Trailer Breakdown: 32 Story & Character Reveals

But attentive viewers will have noticed a subtle change in Harley Quinn; specifically, her tattoos. Most of these were supposed to have been made by Harley herself, while she was languishing in prison, bored out of her mind. But there are a couple of exceptions, ones in places even the uber-flexible Harley couldn't reach. And all of these conveyed a sense of ownership, suggesting the Joker had branded Harley. One on Harley Quinn's back literally identifies her as "property of Joker." It's easy to miss, but this has actually changed in the behind-the-scenes footage from The Suicide Squad, suggesting Harley has had someone paid to alter the tat. It now reads, "property of no one."

Harley Quinn Tattoo Suicide Squad Brightened

It's a subtle detail, but a great visual way of reminding viewers of Harley's character arc. It suggests Harley Quinn is following the same journey she did in the comics, where she learns to define herself as an individual rather than by her relationships. While she no doubt won't stay single - Birds of Prey subtly set up the romance between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy - she will never again allow herself to be drawn into the kind of unhealthy, obsessive and abusive relationship she had with the Joker.

All this means Harley Quinn is more than a Joker abuse victim. Rather, she is recovering from her time with the Clown Prince of Crime, getting on with her life, and in so doing presenting a brilliant example to viewers. Superhero franchises rarely explore this theme, tending to show healthy relationships and present idealized views of love and romance. But Harley Quinn is far more real, meaning she has one of the best arcs in the DCEU to date. This tattoo confirms that arc will continue in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad.

More: The Suicide Squad: All 17 Characters In The NEW Task Force X Explained

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