10 Reasons to Be Excited About a Harley Quinn Solo Movie

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Suicide Squad - Harley Spin-off

It has happened - Suicide Squad's rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic has fallen below that of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, just like the Zack Snyder flick, David Ayer's first outing in the DCEU did manage to expand the universe. And not only that, it has also managed to bring into the spotlight characters we haven't seen before on the big screen.

And, as expected, one of those characters was Harley Quinn - the former psychiatrist who fell in love with the Joker. Portraying the new 52 version of the supervillainess, Margot Robbie stole the show every time she was on camera - and she was on camera quite a lot. I am not surprised those rumors about a Harley Quinn spin-off popped up.

So whether it will be a solo flick, a Gotham Sirens adaptation, or anything else, Margot Robbie has the chance to be the lead in the first truly awesome movie focused on a supervillain. Why? It was all set in Suicide Squad.

Check out the top 10 reasons why we are excited about such a project. But be warned - there are plenty of Suicide Squad spoilers!

(Un)Natural Born Psychos

The beginning of an unhealthy relationship (Screen Rant)

The beginning of an unhealthy relationship (Screen Rant)

While the other remaining Suicide Squad members were back in their cells as the credits rolled, Harley Quinn found herself freed by the Joker. Which is great from two points of view (and not that great from another – but I’ll say something about that later on). First, we will definitely get a sequel for Suicide Squad - and it better be an R-rated one, as David Ayer likes his movies.

And then we have Harley and Joker back together, ready to bring mayhem to the streets of Gotham once again. The way their relationship was described in Suicide Squad was in no way how I thought it would be. So now that the premise was placed (back together), some writer and some director will have to deal with the aftermath of this movie's events and focus just on this pair.

And it will be great - I guess I do believe that Warner Bros can learn from its mistakes, even if this wasn't proven until now. Don't you want to see a movie about a pair of psychos?

I know I do! Check out how good Natural Born Killers is; it’s based on the same premise.

No room for origin stories

Enough (Hitfix)

Enough (Hitfix)

Do you imagine how an origin story movie for Harley Quinn could play? I don't. And, thankfully, I won't see one. And that is because Harley's origin has already been told in Suicide Squad. Which is great. The character, with her chaotic and psychotic nature, will be thrown right into the action as soon as the movie starts.

If there is one great thing about the DCEU, it’s that we don't actually have too many movies focused on origin stories. The heroes and villains are already fully formed. So there is no precious time lost on uninteresting details from the previous life of the character.

And with someone like Harley Quinn, especially if she’s in a relationship with the Joker, the movie has to be a roller-coaster from the beginning until the end. I wouldn't mind some flashbacks, just to let me breathe, though.

Killing Jason Todd

Jason Todd (Movie Pilot)

Jason Todd (Movie Pilot)

Some believe that having Harley Quinn confess that she’s killed Robin is a mistake. From one point of view, it’s true - in a way, it steals something from the relationship between Joker and Batman. But, in another way, it establishes Harley Quinn as a real threat for Batman and his allies.

Even if the Joker came up with the plan, it is still revealed that Harley played an important role in Jason Todd's demise. So Batman now has even more reasons to go after her.

In this way, if the spin-off focuses just on Harley and her Puddin', we might be treated to even more Batman action. And since we know that this Dark Knight can get very brutal (he did punch her straight in the face in Suicide Squad), the duo will have to throw everything and the kitchen sink at the hero.

Which is, once again, great. Didn't Ben Affleck say that lots of villains from Batman's rogues gallery will be present in the first Dark Knight flick from the DCEU?

The dream

Just a normal family (We Heart It)

Just a normal family (We Heart It)

In Suicide Squad, Enchantress enters Harley's mind and we are treated with a rather unexpected scene. A suburban mother, Harley is married to a very sane Joker, living the American dream. Where did that came from? Does Harley actually want to be normal?

If so, her love-affair with the Joker isn't going to last. Thus, the spin-off could focus on the continuously degrading relationship, with a pretty predictable resolution: a break-up.

The only problem I see is the rating of such a movie - in no way should it be PG-13. Joker can get pretty abusive at times. And this needs to be captured on film in a way that leaves no room for interpretation.

And, if the movie is a hit, this movie's follow-up should definitely focus on the Gotham Sirens!

The future"¦

Gotham Sirens (Comic Vine)

Gotham Sirens (Comic Vine)

Of course, the Harley Quinn spin-off could see her already split from the Joker. And this spin-off could introduce Poison Ivy and Catwoman as the BFFs who help her get over the failed relationship. How? Well, this would basically be the Gotham Sirens movie everybody is talking about.

And what better way to introduce the Riddler than in a movie such as this one? Just have him there, helping the Sirens in any way that he can.

Of course, the Joker shouldn't be left out. Even if he isn't with Harley any longer, his relationship with her should be further explored. As said, Suicide Squad didn't do such a swell job of bringing it to life. So it should be revealed why they broke up in the first place.

Was it Harley's dream? Was it because the Joker became too abusive? Either of these would be fine. And since the DCEU has a penchant for flashbacks, several of these should explain how Harley broke up with him.

"¦or the past

Harley and Joker (Twitter)

Harley and Joker (Twitter)

But what I would like to see even more is Harley and the Joker together, in a prequel to Suicide Squad. This way, maybe it would be explained how the Clown Prince of Crime got his grills. Of course, I am talking about a Death in the Family adaptation with a twist.

And the twist is that this movie should be told from the perspective of Joker and Harley. And, unlike Suicide Squad, the spin-off shouldn't try too hard to humanize the villains. Just give it to us raw, Warner Bros.!

Obviously, Batman should also be featured. But only in the beginning, advising Todd not to go after the duo alone, and in the end, discovering that Robin was killed and then apprehending the villains. In this way, we can also get a proper Robin on the big screen, one that has to go against not just the Joker and Harley, but also against their goons (who might as well be other villains from Batman's rogues gallery).

It would be pretty intense.

vs. Suicide Squad

Amanda Waller (Flickering Myth)

Amanda Waller (Flickering Myth)

Remember those rumors saying that Amanda Waller sends the Suicide Squad after the Joker? Well, they weren't true. However, a spin-off could involve Harley and Joker going after Waller. The reasons are self-explanatory.

The former friends (Harley and the rest of the sqwad) would have to go against each other. And I would find that interesting to see, especially since there is always the chance of Harley corrupting the almost reformed villains.

This could also be a project just for Harley, without the Joker being involved in any way. Maybe he just wants to let her have all the fun. And maybe Harley will bring her own besties into the fold - Poison Ivy and Catwoman.

I can bet that Deadshot would join her by the end of the film. After all, he actually refused to kill Harley in Suicide Squad, despite the promises made by Waller.

A smaller cast

Just Harley (Bustle)

Just Harley (Bustle)

The biggest problem with the DCEU seems to be that it tries to bring all of the major comic book characters to life in just a couple of movies. This was definitely a problem with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and this was also a problem for Suicide Squad.

So, if Warner Bros. did learn something this year, maybe the Harley Quinn spin-off shouldn't have such an expansive cast. Maybe it should concern just Harley.

Waller would definitely want to see her behind bars. So, split from her Puddin', she should have to take care of herself by herself. And this would be the best time to see what Harley can actually do.

Obviously, she was the star of Suicide Squad because of her chemistry with all of the other characters. But Margot Robbie also proved that she has range as an actress (such as when she realizes she has lost everything and returns to help the sqwad). So I can definitely see her carrying an entire movie, without help from Jared Leto or Will Smith.

Empowering Harley

Pretty awful onesie in real life... (IGN)

Pretty awful onesie in real life… (IGN)

Much of the criticism of Suicide Squad is also directed at how Harley Quinn was portrayed. Thus, even if she got the majority of the kick-ass lines and even if she was a standout among the many characters, she was still perceived as being too oversexualized (if I may say so). So what does Warner Bros need to do?

Most obviously, the studio needs to choose another route. But it will be pretty difficult. Even if Harley delivered the final blow to the villain in Suicide Squad, she ultimately became the damsel in distress, waiting to be saved by the Joker. So maybe the spin-off should put a twist on this.

So what if the Joker is the one getting captured and thrown in Arkham and Harley has to find a way to save him? Whether she'd have to coordinate a team whether she'd be all alone, the focus would be just on her.

And it would be a twist - the female would have to save the male. Now Warner Bros needs to find a way to make that awful onesie look good on the big screen"¦

In any case, in the end"¦

Don't rush it!

Suicide Squad - final confrontation (Screen Rant)

Suicide Squad – final confrontation (Screen Rant)

While it can't be said that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was rushed on the big screen, Suicide Squad definitely was. And this can be seen in the storyline, the rather thin supporting characters, the messy editing, and the subpar special effects.

So, if a Harley Quinn movie will indeed see the light of day, Warner Bros. should take its time. The studio should learn from its mistakes. If the reports are true, the script of this spin-off shouldn't be written in just a couple of weeks, like it happened with Suicide Squad. The characters shouldn't be mashed together on the big screen without a proper story for all of them.

Chemistry between the actors cannot do wonders if everything around them is a mess.

Most importantly, once everything is in place, the studio should trust the vision of any director it decides upon. Otherwise, no matter how brilliant the script and how great the performances, it would be all for naught.

Category: Top Movies
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