With season three of Harley Quinn the animated series (2019) to be released July 28th on HBO Max, it's returning with it is brand new canon content of debatably the best portrayal of Harley to date. Though both Birds of Prey (2020) and The Suicide Squad (2021) do a pretty good job of representing Harley Quinn’s canon self, taking artistic liberties can mean straying from complete accuracy.
Margot Robbie is stellar and captivating in the role, maximizing Harley’s fanbase, while bringing some of her most loved qualities (like her charm, devious smile and quirkiness) to the big screen. Still, her character does veer from the comics from time to time. Inconsistencies such as her original backstory and the amount of time that passed before getting over Joker are important to take notice of, since portraying them inaccurately subtracts from her character development. Despite this, these distinctions do little to hinder the effectiveness of the films.
Having No Superpowers
The Harley Quinn from the movies might be just as smart and athletic as she is in the comics, but she also canonically has superpowers, something not yet touched on in the films. Poison Ivy once gave Harley a homemade serum that gave her increased agility, strength, as well as immunity to acid and harmful toxins.
Related: 4 Harley Quinn Mannerisms Margot Robbie Nails (& 4 That Are Better In The Animated Series)
Utilizing these in the movies would have not just more accurately shown Harley's true potential, but could have led to fantastic fight scenes highlighting the strengths. On top of this, Harley would be even more of a threat to the villains conspiring against her, knowing she was under the protection of Ivy.
Her Costume
While Harley's costume is easing closer and closer to what she wears in the comics, it’s still a bit off. Her canon post-Joker outfit does much to dignify who and how much better off she is without the confines of being psychologically manipulated, while the movie's version seems to get lost in translation.
Beginning to drift even further from Joker’s color scheme, Harley dons her half red and half black (or red and blue like in The New 52 era) pigtails in the comics, as well as a collar with bells on it instead of a ‘Puddin’ choker. The symbolism behind these changes is important to take note of, separating herself from Joker in search of her new, independent and fabulous self.
Her Adolescent Backstory
The backstory told within Birds of Prey does well at giving Harley more depth, but the canon story tells a different tale. In the comics, Harley still has a family, but far from a perfect one. With a drunkard father who ended up in prison, Harley was raised alongside her brother by her single mom.
Contrasting this, Harley in the film began as an orphan raised by nuns who always got into trouble. Without any other context than this, Harley's character is dulled and less relatable than she actually is. Other representations did a much better job specifying how the failures of her father affected her view of how she deserves to be treated and what is considered normal.
She Has Only One Hyena
Though a minor difference, any faithful fan of Harley Quinn knows that she canonically has two pet hyenas named Bud and Lou, who have been in her life since before her break-up with Joker. However, in Birds of Prey, she has just recently gotten her hyena - and only one of them.
The real value of including Harley's "babies," as she often calls the hyenas, is showing that Harley managed to train two vicious animals to obey her and has gone to great lengths to save them. Her dedication proves how deeply loyal and protective she is of the ones she cares about, which (if not for budget constraints) would have been a wonderful thing to see in the movies.
She's Completely Alone After Her Break-up With Joker
Following her break-up with Joker, Harley is targeted by many malicious villains with seemingly no one by her side. Canonically, however, this isn’t the case. In fact, a lot of Gotham’s underbelly criminals hold a fondness for her. The closest friends of Harley, Catwoman and especially Poison Ivy, would most certainly have her back.
There are many examples of this in the comics, hence why the three together are called the Gotham City Sirens. The animated series, Harley Quinn, does well in expressing the unique relationship between the three when they team up to rob Doctor Trap. Integrating these characters into her next movie (or better yet, giving them their own) would play a significant role in fortifying her character and exposing film Harley to fresh dynamics.
She's Not As Multi-Dimensional
While it's not to say that Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn doesn’t have depth, the cartoon and comics version of Harley are much more multi-dimensional, thus far. Scenarios in which Harley fights for the greater good are much more present in Birds of Prey, giving hope that her next film will keep pulling this idea closer.
She is an antihero, meaning she has worked against and alongside heroes, like Batman in Curse of the White Knight, since her moral compass isn’t entirely broken. That said, her unpredictable and flirtatious side really shines through on the big screen, while canon Harley is portrayed as highly intelligent with streaks of lighthearted ditzy-ness and naivete.
She Gets Over Joker Too Quickly
Possibly one of the most inaccurate events to happen in Birds of Prey is how Harley moves on from her love for Joker a lot faster. The movie wasn’t exactly straightforward with the reasoning behind their split up, either. The comics, on the other hand, are leagues more graphic about what brought their relationship to the breaking point.
After Joker attempted to murder Harley by infecting her precious hyenas with rabies, she finally had enough and leaves what she thought was her purpose for living behind. Despite this, by the time she meets Black Mask in the movie, she seems to not even think of Joker anymore. Leaving the event out of the movie takes away from her character development and struggle considerably.
Her Lack Of Oversized Mallet
Harley Quinn’s mallet has been one of her most signature weapons ever since The New Batman Adventures animated series in 1997. “Holiday Knights” aka the episode she stole the bat from a toy store nutcracker animatronic, is the true origin of the weapon.
In the movies, the mallet is completely glazed over in favor of her wooden bat. Though it is true that the bat is another signature weapon, Harley's mallet will always be the most classic. The iconic weapon could have been an amazing addition to fight scenes, showcasing her strength and skilled precision.
Killing Just For Fun
While Harley does take joy in murdering people that get in her way or hurt someone she cares about, unlike Joker, she won’t just walk up to someone and beat their head in simply because she feels like it. The closest she has ever come to pure evil is, undeniably, as Joker’s lover.
The difference can easily be seen when comparing The Suicide Squad to Birds of Prey. Since Harley split from Joker, she has become a better person, while arguably being even more badass than ever before. In fact, Harley is already regarded as a hero after Birds of Prey #1, when she squares up with Joker's henchmen and a murderous gang.
Joker Being Her One And Only Love
In both The Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey, it appears that Harley has only ever had a romantic relationship with Joker, but this is simply not the case. Since 2017’s Harley Quinn #25, where they kissed in a main-universe comic for the first time, Poison Ivy and Harley have only grown closer.
Their newfound romance in the Harley Quinn animated series was so well loved by fans that it got a spinoff comic, Harley Quinn: The Animated Series - The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour, showing the unconditional love shared between Harley and Ivy with their runaway wedding. If the relationship was included in Birds of Prey, it would have further empowered her, proving her independence from Joker, once and for all.