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!