The superhero genre is wildly popular, which is why various studios have their own shared universe. Co-CEO James Gunn is the creative architect of the new DCU, with the first slate of projects titled Gods and Monsters. Prior to this he worked on The Suicide Squad (streaming now with a HBO Max subscription), which was actually set in the now-ended DCEU. Fans have been wondering if Margot Robbie would be returning as Harley Quinn, and a new report might have offered some much-needed answers.
Throughout the years Robbie played Harley three times in live action: Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, and The Suicide Squad. While James Gunn confirmed a few heroes were sticking around, fans were left wondering about Robbie. A new report from THR's Heat Vision newsletter claimed that:
Harley Quinn, theoretically but probably not, could still be played by James Gunn's The Suicide Squad star Margot Robbie.
Obviously this is not a confirmation from the studio, and we might want to take it with a grain of salt. But since Gunn has never given any indication that he plans on collaborating again with Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn in the future, it's not looking great.
Back in January of 2024, Gunn confirmed there were not plans to bring back Margot Robbie's Harley just yet. And while he expressed interest in working with her again, it's possible that her tenure as the beloved DC antihero has come to an end.
The same report claimed that Weapons director Zach Creggers working on a possible upcoming DC movie called Henchmen. It would focus on the lower level criminals who work for Gotham's villains, but would also feature Joker and Harley Quinn. It remains to be seen if this project comes together, and who would play the latter character.
Personally, I wish that Margot Robbie would continue playing Harley Quinn in the DC Universe. She crushed the role under three different directors and three very different projects. And whoever possibly replaces her in the burgeoning shared universe is going to have some very big shoes to fill. So why not bring the Barbie star back for future projects as Ms. Quinzel?
Perhaps James Gunn's plans for the character include a full reboot, with her once again serving as Joker's girlfriend and assistant. This would be a major step backward from the character development we saw from Robbie's version throughout the DCEU. I'm just spitballing here, but there are plenty of reasons why the Oscar nominee not might reprise her signature role.
For now we'll just have to wait for some official word from James Gunn, Robbie, or the studio. The next DC movie expected to hit theaters is Supergirl on June 26th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list.
