NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
As a co-head of DC Studios, James Gunn has already filled his plate. Between creating a coexisting DCU, Elseworld projects, movies, and TV shows, down to casting and reading scripts, he’s got to have a full slate already. Despite all that, there’s plenty of opportunity for him to continue to put his stamp on characters outside of Superman, and one in particular should be DC’s own Harley Quinn.
One of the most interesting ways Gunn creates characters from comics is not always taking on legacy characters but taking on a larger catalog of lesser-known characters. With a Harley Quinn movie, he can do just that. True, she is both a legacy character and part of a larger Batman universe, but Harley Quinn has never been more popular. The previous run at the DCEU featured two versions, with Margot Robbie starring in both the Suicide Squad movies and Birds of Prey. Lady Gaga took on the role in the Joker sequel, but the movie wasn’t as well-received. Hell, you could even throw in the animated version with Kaley Cuoco that streamed on HBO/Max. None of those versions stood out the way the character did with the Suicide Squad movie Gunn directed.
One of the most appealing things about Harley Quinn is the beautiful chaos that accompanies her, not only as a personality trait but also in her life in general. She is the perfect example of the tragedy of finding your place in this world and how the people around you will always let you down if you let them. Her story is filled with both chaos and emotion, two things James Gunn has been able to capture in movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy.
Despite the toxic side of the internet being bent out of shape about characters who live within a soundtrack, a character like Harley Quinn would be another great way to show off how music sets the tone of a film. Too many times, we’ve seen these “girl power” movies that all use the same formula. Throw on No Doubt’s – Just A Girl during the action scenes and trailers, and hope the audiences fill in. Truth be told, I’d rather see Harley Quinn flipping and cartwheeling through the shadows of a fight scene to Korn’s – Coming Undone over that.
The hardest part would be creating a movie that would do well at the box office off the name Harley Quinn alone, which could be why the previous films flopped. With that said, could streaming series in the style of The Penguin have its place in the new DCU? It could even be out of the main continuity, or even tie into The Penguin as well. There are so many more characters that could be explored, such as Hush, Poison Ivy, or Black Mask, that haven’t received the full live-action treatment correctly that Gunn could flesh out. Would you watch a Harley Quinn movie/show if done correctly?
