THE SUICIDE SQUAD Director James Gunn Reveals When The Movie Takes Place In The DCEU's Timeline

Given the fluid, standalone nature of the DC Extended Universe, no one is really sure when the The Suicide Squad actually takes place. Now, director James Gunn has revealed when the reboot/sequel is set...

By JoshWilding - Apr 19, 2020 04:04 AM EST

Filed Under: The Suicide Squad

Despite concerns that The Suicide Squad would be delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, writer and director James Gunn recently confirmed that the reboot/sequel remains on track for its August 2020 release date. That's definitely good news given the number of delays we've been faced with lately, and the filmmaker has revealed more details during a recent Q&A.

Asked by a fan whether The Suicide Squad is set after the events of Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, Gunn responded by saying that the movie "takes place in the year it comes out."

In other words, yes, Task Force X's return to the big screen is indeed going to take place after Harley Quinn's meeting with the likes of Huntress and Cassandra Cain, and that makes perfect sense. While we don't know how she ends up in custody again after heading off into the sunset, this is Harley we're talking about, so it's not exactly hard to picture her getting on the wrong side of the law!

In terms of plot details, we know very little about what to expect from The Suicide Squad, but there have been plenty of rumours doing the rounds about what brings these villains together.

Are you guys excited to see Harley's story continue in the DCEU after Birds of Prey?

Click on the "Next" button below to check out the
best Easter Eggs from Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey!

"Daddy's Little Monster"

Shortly before it all kicks off at the Booby Trap, Harley Quinn and her girl gang start looking through some of her old gear. The bustier Renee Montoya ends up wearing is clearly a reference to Harley's comic book attire but we also get a fun nod to 2016's Suicide Squad.

Dinah Lance pulls out a tattered t-shirt that says "Daddy's Little Monster" across the front and Harley quickly pulls it away and says it has sentimental value. As you may recall, Harley wore that during her time as a member of Task Force X (she also talks about having a bomb in her neck once upon a time, another reference to the events of David Ayer's movie).

A Nod To The Joker's Creator

This is a clever one.

While Bill Finger and Bob Kane get the credit for creating Batman, it was actually Jerry Robinson who dreamt up The Joker way back in 1940. Without the Clown Prince of Crime, there would be no Harley Quinn so Birds of Prey finds a way to pay homage to the legendary creator.

Telling Black Mask that she once retrieved a nude photo of Eleanor Roosevelt for The Joker, Harley mentions that she found it in a bird's nest in "Robinson Park."

The Joker Looms Large

At the Booby Trap, look at one of the windows in the background and you'll notice a "Hahahaha" pattern sketched on it which is identical to the tattoo Jared Leto's Joker had on his chest.

We never see the Clown Prince of Crime in Birds of Prey (not from the front anyway) but it's clear that, just like his comic book counterpart, he once made good use of Amusement Mile.

Captain Boomerang

During Harley's standout attack on the GCPD to retrieve Cassandra Cain, she walks past a "Wanted" poster for an old friend of hers: Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang from Suicide Squad!

It seems as if he somehow managed to escape Amanda Waller's clutches (unless they're just unaware that's where he's being kept), but both Harley and Boomerang will be reunited in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad so they will once again find themselves as members of Task Force X.

The "False Facers"

As Black Mask's goons arrive at the Booby Trap to take out Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey, they're all wearing masks of their own and this is without a doubt a big nod to the source material.

In the comics, Roman Sionis controls a mask-wearing cult known as the False Facers/False Face Society. They're never referenced by that name here but are clearly meant to be one and the same.

Huntress' Backstory

Huntress doesn't make a huge impact in Birds of Prey but the movie certainly stays faithful to her comic book counterpart's origin story. With the exception of Victor Zsasz and Black Mask's involvement, the murder of Helena's parents and her being brought up by assassins is 100% accurate.

So too is Huntress' Catholic background. In the comics, she's often shown carrying a rosary (even in costume) and her religion is as important to her as it is a character like Marvel's Daredevil.

Janus

Keep an eye on Gotham City in the film and you'll notice a lot of signs for Janus, Roman Sionis' company. Most of the time, however, the "J" has been crossed out so it reads "Anus" (get it?).

Still, this is a reference to the comics, because in those, Black Mask rules over a cosmetics empire. In Birds of Prey, it's a real estate development company, but the reason for the change is unclear.

You may also recall seeing a "Janus" sign in Justice League (which was likely a coincidence).

Black Canary's Mother

When Renee Montoya first comes face to face with Dinah Lance, she references her mother having the same powers she does and reveals that she used it to help Gotham City's Police Department. Dinah mentions that it also resulted in her being left for dead in the streets, and this adds some history both to the DC Extended Universe and the history of superheroes in this iconic city.

This is also something that ties into the comic books because in the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths DC Universe, it was revealed that Black Canary's mother was a member of the Justice Society of America. Is it possible that we'll see her make an appearance in Black Adam? If Warner Bros. had a plan for a shared world, probably, but something tells us not to get our hopes up on that front.

Harley Quinn's Ex-Girlfriend

During Birds of Prey's animated opening sequence, we delve into Harleen Quinzel's past and learn that she had her heart broken a number of times before finally crossing paths with The Joker.

One of them was a woman and this confirms that the big screen version of Harley, like her comic book counterpart, is bisexual. The woman actually looks a little like Pamela Isley, and while it's highly unlikely they were romantically involved all those years ago, it could just be that Harley has a type!

A Post-Credits...Something

Sadly, there's no post-credits scene at the end of Birds of Prey but you'll still be rewarded (well, sort of) if you stick around long enough. With the final credits rolling, Harley's voice can be heard as she pokes fun at the audience for waiting. However, she promises to reward them with a secret!

"Batman f-" she begins before the screen fades to black. We never get to hear what she had to say, but given the R-Rated nature of Birds of Prey, we have a pretty good guess about that F-word!

Margot Robbie Eyeing Lead Role In Olivia Wilde's AVENGELYNE Adaptation; POOR THINGS Scribe To Pen Script

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34 Comments

Feralwookiee - 4/19/2020, 4:57 AM

But, I thought there was no connected "DCEU" anymore? 🤔

Kyos - 4/19/2020, 5:11 AM

The DCEU's Timeline

manofillintent1 - 4/19/2020, 5:12 AM

Remember way back when you first heard a suicide squad movie was coming out staring Will Smith. Margot Robbie, and Jared Leto as they joker, man how we all painted a different picture in our heads

Philvis - 4/19/2020, 5:46 AM

You either have a connected universe or you don't. It's not going to make sense some members of the Justice League have their own continuity and others don't. They should have done a Flashpoint and reset it formally. That way you can keep some and replace others.

marvel72 - 4/19/2020, 5:58 AM

Can't we live in a world where only Wonder Woman,Aquaman and Joker exist in the DCEU.

I can dream can't I?

I know you can't change what has happened.

inkniron - 4/19/2020, 6:55 AM

But is it set in the same universe? Sadly, the answer is probably yes, but I can hope not.

Reeds2Much - 4/19/2020, 6:58 AM

makes perfect sense

About as much sense as a wold infamous mass murderer slash terrorist running around casually buying egg sandwiches in a world full of Speed Force and Kryptonians, I guess. Which is pretty much par for the course for her solo book.

philinterrupted - 4/19/2020, 7:10 AM

I thought this was coming out August 2021

4thMaster - 4/19/2020, 11:01 AM

I doubt they even recognize Birds of Prey exists, I wouldn't be surprised if WB buries it along with the other failures in the franchise, we'll get a line about Batman or a sidekick capturing her a couple of weeks after Joker helped her escape & then her getting transferred back to Belle-Rev.

I just hope they keep Huntress & Black Canary, the actresses did well with the roles. And screw that movie, I'd also bring back McGregor and Messina. They can do more with them in other Batman movies.

adamcawa - 4/20/2020, 7:28 AM

I doubt they even acknowledge BoP, but wouldn't it be awesome if they did and the BoP were actually the ones to capture Harley?

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THE SUICIDE SQUAD Director James Gunn Reveals When The Movie Takes Place In The DCEU's Timeline

Given the fluid, standalone nature of the DC Extended Universe, no one is really sure when the The Suicide Squad actually takes place. Now, director James Gunn has revealed when the reboot/sequel is set...

"Daddy's Little Monster"

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Harley Quinn's Ex-Girlfriend

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