The Future of Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey

Following the release of Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, with all the controversy and discussion that has come with it, I will here take a look at what is next for everyone involved.

Firstly, I want to make it clear that I have now seen this film in cinemas twice, and it remains one of the most unique and simply one of the best comic book films I have ever seen, and a lot of people who have seen it agree. However, the issue is that not too many people are seeing it.

While it isn’t a disaster due to a low budget for this type of film, it is still likely to need $250 Million+ worldwide to properly break even, and that is starting to looking unlikely, although the next week or so will be key to its future. This is a disappointment to me as I was rooting for this film and everyone involved, and they all did a great job.

However, it is not all doom and gloom, and here I will look at the potential future for everyone involved in making Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (In hindsight, Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey may have been a better title).

The below post contains some spoilers from Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie)

This is the most straight forward case of anyone involved, as we know for certain at least one upcoming project she will be a part of. Margot Robbie will return to the role of Harley Quinn for the third time in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, due out in 2021. She is said to be one of the lead characters in the film, and it is unconfirmed yet whether the film takes place before or after Birds of Prey.

However, the future is a more open question, likely depending on the final box office of Birds of Prey and the box office for The Suicide Squad. Many people, including myself and apparently Margot Robbie too, are desperate for Harley to meet Poison Ivy, and for their fascinating relationship to play out on screen.

The most ideal situation would be for the DCEU to find a way for Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman to join the party and for us to finally get a Gotham City Sirens film. Some may say that is unlikely due to the mixed box office of Birds of Prey, but if the film was to have a PG-13 rating, and the popularity of Harley, Selina, and Ivy, then I think it could be an absolute smash hit. I would love to see Margot Robbie as Harley, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, and Ana de Armas as Poison Ivy.

Whatever happens next, I find it unlikely that we won’t see Margot Robbie stick the fishnets and ponytails back on and play Harley again after 2021, she is simply too good to lose.

The Birds of Prey (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez)

This is the most unpredictable aspect to predict, but I think I have made a good go of it. All of the cast members here are excellent and really inhabit the characters they are playing, but most do not necessarily have a fan base big enough to support another movie, especially if there is no Harley Quinn this time. With this in mind, it could be smart for Warner Bros to use their upcoming streaming service HBO Max to create a high budget Birds of Prey mini-series featuring these characters, in the same vein as a WandaVision is for the MCU. This would allow the stories of the characters to continue without the pressure of carrying their own film, and they could then continue to appear in supporting roles in future Gotham set films, and this could eventually lead up to a huge event film: Birds of Prey vs Gotham City Sirens.

On a side note, Black Canary specifically could appear as a co-lead in another film, potentially alongside a new iteration of the Green Arrow, if the DCEU decide to go down that route, especially now the CW show has finished.

Black Mask (Ewan McGregor)

While it seemed that Roman Sionis had met the same fate as his accomplice (and potential lover) Victor Zsasz and had been killed by the Birds of Prey, we never saw a body and they could easily find a way to bring him back, even if his physical appearance is hugely altered (which could work anyway due to the mask). McGregor’s performance was so universally loved that it would be a huge shame for him to just be a one and done character, and it would be great to see him pop up in future Gotham City set adventures in the DCEU.

Cathy Yan

Birds of Prey was only her second feature film, and while it has had mixed box office results, it was a critical and audience hit, with a lot of praise for the bold direction from Yan and the uniquely female perspective she brings to the story. Birds of Prey had an incredible energy and visual style, which is something Yan can claim ownership of and likely use to sell herself. She should be able to secure a future project, whether indie or blockbuster, but I personally would love her to stick around and direct either a Gotham City Sirens film or a Birds of Prey mini-series.

Christina Hodson

Hodson is a rapidly rising talent with huge potential and already some strong results. She wrote a strong and nostalgic script for the transformers spin off Bumblebee and she quirky and funny script for Birds of Prey was a real treat. Following this, she is set to be one of the key figures going forward for the DCEU. She was commissioned to write a script for a standalone Batgirl film that remains in very early development, and is writing the script for the solo Flash film that is already dated for 2022 (and potentially could be a game changing story for how the future of the franchise looks). She is a really talented writer and I am glad she seems to be having a big role in the immediate future of the franchise.

Overall

I loved Birds of Prey, and everyone in it, and while the box office didn’t live up to expectations, it isn’t a disaster remotely on the scale of something like Justice League, and due to the dedicated fan base the film seems to be developing, I think there could still be a bright future for all involved.