Margot Robbie first played Harley Quinn in 2016's Suicide Squad. She later reprised the role in Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn—renamed Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey following a disappointing opening weekend—and James Gunn's The Suicide Squad.
All those movies took place in the DCEU, of course, and now that DC Studios has relaunched that franchise as the DCU, it's unclear whether there's a place for Robbie.
In The Hollywood Reporter's piece about Weapons director Zach Cregger's hopes to make Henchmen, a movie about a low-level henchman in the Gotham crime world who gains notoriety after managing to incapacitate Batman, there's a minor update about The Joker and Harley Quinn (who would also heavily feature in the movie).
"DC Studios hasn't yet cast a Joker or a Batman," the trade confirms. "Harley Quinn, theoretically but probably not, could still be played by James Gunn's The Suicide Squad star Margot Robbie."
That doesn't sound overly promising, and while Robbie was phenomenal in the role, she brings a lot of that DCEU baggage with her. Then again, the same could surely be said for Peacemaker star John Cena, who reprises his DCEU role in the show's upcoming second season.
Another interesting tidbit in the article suggests DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will "likely want to be careful with anything Batman-related" as Matt Reeves continues work on The Batman Part II, "and perhaps even a Batman Part III." Why? Because they "don't want to step on his toes and double up on villains for their universe."
Last January, Robbie addressed her future as Harley Quinn ahead of Lady Gaga's portrayal of the character in Joker: Folie à Deux.
"I always wanted Harley to be a character that would get passed on to other actresses to play, the way there are so many iconic male characters," the actor explained. "That was always the dream for her."
"Harley’s so fun and can go in so many different directions. You put her in someone else’s hands, and it’s like, 'What are they going to do with her?' The options are endless."
Robbie would go on to confirm she'd like to see Harley explore her comic book romance with Poison Ivy. Their relationship has been explored in HBO Max's Harley Quinn animated series, and it's a dynamic that fans remain eager to see play out in live-action as well.
"I have been pushing for that for years. I cannot tell you how hard I've been pushing for that. I want it too," she said. "Honestly, when I pictured, I always picture like Poison Ivy in the comics. I don't really actually picture an actress doing it, but I agree, that would be so good."
What would you like to see from The Joker and Harley Quinn in the DCU?