Writer/Director James Gunn says it was a privilege writing for Harley Quinn in The Suicide Squad. Gunn’s R-rated foray into the DC Extended Universe features Margot Robbie reprising the role of Harley Quinn. Despite the lackluster response to 2016’s Suicide Squad, Robbie’s portrayal of the iconic former psychiatrist turned psychotic Joker accomplice/lover was beloved, prompting a Harley Quinn solo film, Birds of Prey (2020).
Returning members of Task Force X Harley Quinn, Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), and Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) are joined by newcomers including Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and Peacemaker (John Cena) in The Suicide Squad. The team also features a slew of oddball villains like Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), and Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), who are dispatched on a suicide mission to Corto Maltese to destroy Project Starfish. While faithful in spirit to John Ostrander’s comic, Gunn puts a unique spin on many of DC’s characters. In the case of Harley Quinn, Gunn continued character development that began back in 2016 and paid homage to her television and comic book roots.
In an interview with Collider, Gunn talked about his process, particularly his vision for Harley Quinn and how it compares to past iterations. He was asked about the pressure of writing scenes for an already-established and beloved character. Read Gunn’s response below:
“I felt excited, man. I love the character of Harley Quinn. I love Paul Dini's original Harley Quinn. I think she's one of the most well-written comic book characters of all time and consistently well-written, not always, but a lot. Being able to speak in her voice and to write for her was a privilege, but I also felt incredibly comfortable doing it...She isn't a James Gunn character, because I didn't create her in the same way I created Ratcatcher II, or even King Shark in some ways. But she is totally a James Gunn character in that I get her. She isn't so different from Boltie in Super. So it's like, I love her character, I love who she is, and I felt extremely comfortable making this the most Harley of all Harleys that have been on the movie screen.”
Harleen Quinzel debuted in the Batman: The Animated Series episode, “Joker’s Favor,” in 1992—an episode written by Paul Dini, who would go on to write for Harley Quinn in panels and on the page. In the character's early days, she was usually depicted as wearing a red and black jester costume. Robbie’s character was featured in that costume in David Ayer's Suicide Squad in a brief flashback. Her leather ensemble and pageant dress in Gunn's film are also reminiscent of outfits she would wear in the Arkham video games and the animated series. Harley Quinn has changed over the years, but she becomes even stronger in The Suicide Squad, becoming a more independent character who murders boyfriends over red flags.
Harley Quinn has been a beloved character for decades, and The Suicide Squad is arguably her most faithful live-action portrayal. Robbie is more comfortable in the role than ever, and Gunn is extremely aware of her roots. She’s quirky, unapologetically violent, and uses surreal visual stimuli to distort her reality. While Robbie and Gunn agreed she shouldn’t be The Suicide Squad’s main character, there are a handful of moments where she dominates the screen. For example, when she plunges Javelin’s weapon of choice into the eye of Starro, basking in the absurdity of rats eating away at a giant Starfish, one thing becomes abundantly clear: the DCEU needs Robbie’s Harley Quinn.
Source: Collider
