HARLEY QUINN: 10 Steps Warner Bros. Should Follow To Make The Perfect Solo Movie

Rumour has it that a Harley Quinn project is in the works at Warner Bros., but how can the studio make the perfect solo movie featuring Margot Robbie's character after Birds of Prey underperformed?

By JoshWilding - Jun 11, 2020 07:06 AM EST

Filed Under: Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) - which was later retitled Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey - was a critical hit, but it failed to make much of an impact at the box office. Despite that, Margot Robbie's character remains as popular as ever, and rumour has it that a new solo project for the anti-hero is in the works at Warner Bros.

As much as we loved Birds of Prey (you can find our review by clicking here), it's clear not everything landed, and some work will need to be done in order to make the perfect Harley Quinn movie.

With that in mind, we're now delving into the steps Warner Bros. should follow to make this a truly great adventure for the character. From cameos to tonal decisions, costumes, and even ties to the wider DC Extended Universe, there's a lot a spinoff like this needs to make sure to include.

To find out what we're talking about, all you guys need to do is hit the "Next" button below!

10. Poison Ivy

The last time we saw Poison Ivy on the big screen, Uma Therman was hamming it up as the villain in the abysmal Batman & Robin. A faithful take on this character – whose desire to save the world’s plant life as an ecoterrorist of sorts is more relevant today than ever – is without a doubt long overdue, and this Harley Quinn movie is perhaps the perfect place to bring her back.

The dynamic between Harley and Ivy is well worth exploring, and that's particularly the case due to recent comic books confirming that their relationship is a romantic one.

Delving into that would be a big step forward for the genre, while it just so happens to be something fans have been desperate to see for years now. That aside, Ivy is a great character in her own right, and someone with a tonne of potential to really shine in an upcoming DC Comics movie.

9. Wacky Weapons

Harley certainly had her fair share of unique weapons in Birds of Prey, but they were all pretty grounded, and taking things down a sillier route now wouldn't be the worst idea in the world.

From "Ha-Ha" knuckle-dusters to oversized guns, realism really should be thrown out of the window here for the sake of doing this fan-favourite anti-hero justice on the big screen. After all, the reason DC Universe's animated series is so popular is because it embraces Harley's crazy world.

A Harley Quinn movie doesn't need to go too over the top (to the point where it's not remotely realistic), but let the character have fun with some of the weapons fans love from the comics.

8. Ties To The Wider DC Extended Universe

Birds of Prey referenced the events of Suicide Squad, but only in a very vague way. Beyond her broken relationship with The Joker, you'd never know that Harley hated Amanda Waller or struck up an unlikely friendship (and potential romance) with Deadshot.

The best we got was a nod to the fact Harley recognised Captain Boomerang, and while the DC Extended Universe is growing increasingly standalone in nature, we'd hope that a Harley Quinn movie like this wouldn't be quite as cut off from this world as Birds of Prey.

For starters, it should absolutely tie into James Gunn's The Suicide Squad in some way, while also acknowledging Harley's history that we have seen on screen...and some we haven't too.

7. The Classic Costume

This was spotted in Suicide Squad, but that's about as close as the DC Extended Universe has ever really got to using it. It may not be the most realistic costume from the comic books, but that blink and you'd miss it moment with Harley dancing alongside The Joker proves that it a) works on screen, and b) would look pretty damn cool to boot.

We're not even suggesting Harley wears this for an entire movie, but getting to see Margot Robbie's take on the character kicking butt while decked out in it would be welcomed by fans.

Perhaps this is something we could see in flashbacks? After all, Harley's time terrorising Gotham City alongside the Clown Prince of Crime has only ever been addressed on a surface level.

6. Putting The Guys In Their Place

One of the most enjoyable parts of Harley Quinn’s adventures is seeing her put guys like Batman and Green Arrow in their place. The take no nonsense anti-hero doesn’t hesitate to run circles around them both physically and verbally, and that’s something which needs to make it into this movie.

Birds of Prey sort of went down this route, but spent the entire movie emphasising the fact that men are terrible. That's actually kind of true, but it alienated some viewers and was too heavy-handed.

There are ways to address sexism and feminism meaningfully, without it feeling over the top and actually making it fun. Hence, we'd like to see her outsmart heroes like the ones mentioned above.

5. Plenty Of Humour

Suicide Squad had a lot of humour shoehorned into it, and that's why director David Ayer is now pushing Warner Bros. to #ReleaseTheAyerCut of his 2016 movie. Birds of Prey delivered a lot of laughs, of course, but it wasn't quite as funny as movies like Thor: Ragnarok and Deadpool.

Bringing in some female comedy writers for this spinoff would be a smart move, and the first true DC Extended Universe comedy might open up a lot of new storytelling avenues to Warner Bros.

Dedicating an entire movie to Harley Quinn getting over a breakup was a solid way to help her move on from The Joker, but it didn't lead to a lot of laughs, and arguably wasn't the best way to approach a story revolving around this character. She's a fun and weird personality, and while Harley deserves an impactful storyline, a movie more in line with Deadpool's would be better.

4. Bring Back The Birds Of Prey

As we mentioned, we loved Birds of Prey here at CBM, and while it did sort of drop the ball on giving characters like Huntress and Black Canary the screentime they deserve, we do want to see more of them. A spinoff of their own makes sense, but bringing them back here would be welcomed.

Chances are it would be a minor role, of course, but seeing Harley confront Green Arrow and Black Canary, for example, could lead to a fun exchange, and a pretty badass fight scene to boot.

If nothing else, this Harley Quinn movie could reintroduce the Birds of Prey to audiences in a big way, and reboot them to an extent so they're more in line with their comic book counterparts.

3. Batgirl

Thinking about all of the great female DC Comics characters who could show up here, a very long list of names come to mind. However, Barbara Gordon definitely needs to be included in some way.

Like fellow Batman & Robin character Poison Ivy, it’s about time Batgirl returns to the big screen, and while she's deserving of her own movie, she could be used here similar to Colossus in Deadpool. The Merc with the Mouth was at his best with a straight man like that or Cable, and the same could be the case with Harley as she finds herself forced to work alongside this sidekick.

While using her here in her Oracle persona (Barbara was left in a wheelchair after being shot by The Joker and went on to provide both the Birds of Prey and Batman with intel from their base) has some potential, Batgirl is arguably far more essential to the DCEU right now.

2. A PG-13 Rating This Time

The decision to give Birds of Prey an R-Rating really didn't pay off for Warner Bros. Like Deadpool, Harley Quinn works well in that setting, but she's also massively popular with younger moviegoers, particularly teenage girls. From a business perspective alone, that makes sense, and it definitely seemed like that R-Rated tone didn't do these characters that many favours.

Harley doesn't need a face full of cocaine or a long list of F-bombs to be funny and crazy, and while putting her in a family friendly setting might feel like a step backwards, look how well Thor's reinvention worked in Thor: Ragnarok; with the right creative team working on a project like this, Harley could be amusing, potentially push the boundaries, and remain compelling.

This rating might just be needed to convince a lot of moviegoers to give the character another chance, because one more disappointment, and Harley's time on screen could reach its end.

1. The Joker

The decision to have Harley Quinn break up with The Joker was a completely understandable one, and there's really no need for the character to be trapped in what is truly an abusive relationship.

However, making the Clown Prince of Crime on off-screen presence didn't really work, and the end to their relationship could have played out far more effectively had she been able to come face to face with him. With that in mind, a cameo here which could be a flashback or excuse for Harley to kick her ex-Puddin's ass, reuniting them on screen has plenty of potential.

It's not the biggest priority in all honesty, but it feels like there are better ways to wrap things up between these two and it Harley could get proper closure by physically putting him in his place.

HUNTRESS Korean-Language DCU Movie Rumored To Have Enlisted THE VILLAINESS Director Jung Byung-Gil

Recommended For You:

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Gets A New Poster As Ryan Reynolds Confirms Tickets Go On Sale TOMORROW

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

32 Comments

soberchimera - 6/11/2020, 7:03 AM

inkniron - 6/11/2020, 7:20 AM

Step one: Just say no.

bkmeijer2 - 6/11/2020, 7:24 AM

Make it a pg-13 Gotham City Sirens movie or nothing at all

OmegaDaGrodd - 6/11/2020, 7:25 AM

OmegaDaGrodd - 6/11/2020, 7:53 AM

The best way to do a Harley Quinn solo is to realize you should not have been planning on doing a Harley Quinn solo

Kucakingkai1991 - 6/11/2020, 7:26 AM

Totally out off topic but [frick]ing finally Season 2 bitches

Chewtoy - 6/11/2020, 7:32 AM

From what I can tell (haven’t seen it), Birds of Prey was kneecapped from the start by limitations brought on by WB’s shifting plans for the DC properties.

With “The Batman” relaunching the Bat-verse, it seems clear that they didn’t want the Harley Quinn property keeping the failed version of the Joker going or establishing new takes on classic Bat characters like Ivy or Catwoman or Batgirl... they rightly wanted to leave the main Bat-cast up to Matt Reeves to interpret. So Harley had to “emancipate” herself from a new villain that had nothing to do with her alongside a cast of spare characters that WB was willing to let her have.

So the question with a Harley sequel is how much support the WB will give it. Would they allow her to have Ivy or the Joker (or Batman) in her film? If not, you’re always going to have a compromised version of a Harley movie... one that’s never quite allowed to adapt the character’s own best stuff.

TheUnworthyThor - 6/11/2020, 7:37 AM

Number 4: Bring back the Birds of Prey? Really!?

THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 6/11/2020, 7:39 AM

Harley Quinn is about to have more movies than Cavill's Superman. Let that sink in.

regularmovieguy - 6/11/2020, 7:41 AM

Josh Wilding: “10 Steps Warner Bros. Should Follow To Make The Perfect Solo Movie”

Also Josh:

regularmovieguy - 6/11/2020, 7:43 AM

Also...BOP won’t get a sequel unless they cap the budget at 50 mil.

Don’t see that happening.

BigMikeReviews - 6/11/2020, 7:48 AM

Let it go WB.. just stop.

knocturnalzen10 - 6/11/2020, 7:57 AM

she has to have footage of upper management in WB doing stuff .........

regularmovieguy - 6/11/2020, 8:03 AM

@knocturnalzen10

Margot was the best part of Suicide Squad. In that terrible train wreck of a movie she was actually pretty good, and that movie made 750 mil.

A Harley spin-off made sense at the time. But they definitely shot themselves in the foot by making it R-rated. I enjoyed those flourishes, but I’m also not the audience they should be targeting.

knocturnalzen10 - 6/11/2020, 8:15 AM

@regularmovieguy - i enjoyed her as well in the film honestly but making another film about her in contrast to the many of character they can use is rubbish....
hell they can even give Constantine another shot and cast an actual British actor this time.
Even a power girl film since they show no interest in superman.

regularmovieguy - 6/11/2020, 8:32 AM

@knocturnalzen10

The thing is....a Harley Quinn movie costs a lot less to make than a Superman movie.

BOP flopped so I really doubt she will lead another DC film.

I also don’t think WB wants to rush a Superman film. Think they’re waiting for the right filmmaker for the job.

It sounded like they met with quite a few directors a while ago including McQuarrie and Vaughn. McQuarrie I can see being busy with MI to focus on Superman. Vaughn I can see having a pretty out there take on the character.

knocturnalzen10 - 6/11/2020, 8:43 AM

@regularmovieguy - i would love to see Vaughn's vision with Superman. that makes sense what you say about budget, it's just so discouraging :/

regularmovieguy - 6/11/2020, 9:19 AM

@knocturnalzen10

For real. I’d love a good Superman movie.

Haven’t seen one in theaters yet haha didn’t like Superman Returns and MOS is fine imo but I didn’t love that either.

Gotta keep our fingers crossed 🤞🏻

knocturnalzen10 - 6/11/2020, 9:23 AM

@regularmovieguy - MOS did an amazing job in exampling why Clark's special but lacked in other area's towards the end. definitely need fingers crossed for a better Superman film.

regularmovieguy - 6/11/2020, 12:37 PM

@knocturnalzen10

Agreed. Honestly I loved the idea behind MOS.

Everyone thinks he should be sunshine and rainbows, but a conflicted Superman movie could be pulled off.

The trailers for the movie are some of my favorite, ever. They’re incredible.

The movie I had some issues with the writing and the editing...and the destruction porn at the end. But the very end where Clark gets the Daily Planet gig was a great ending.

I wanted more of that in the sequel.

knocturnalzen10 - 6/12/2020, 6:25 AM

@regularmovieguy - exactly someone hopefully and stern root in what he is... MAN OF STEEL means clark's will and resolve, it had nothing to do with his powers.

Ha1frican - 6/11/2020, 8:35 AM

For the love of god just make Gotham City Sirens. Hell Birds of Prey could have and should have been that. If you swap Huntress with Poison Ivy wanting revenge against the mob for using her research for something like more potent drugs and “killing” her, make Black Canary Catwoman trying to track down the Bertinelli Diamond by infiltrating the mob and tracking it from the inside, and then made Black Mask Alberto Falcone since they made him a crazy man child who doesn’t wear the mask and dies anyway. Harley doesn’t really work on her own but since they’ve definitively split her from the Joker and hinted at her being bisexual I think the next place you go with her is exploring her relationship with Poison Ivy.

WakandanQueen - 6/11/2020, 8:47 AM

I enjoyed BoP but they are not making more Harley films before The Suicide Squad is a proven hit

itzayaboy - 6/11/2020, 8:55 AM

We just got a Harley Quinn solo movie with cameos from the Birds of Prey. Give us Batman and Superman. That’s what we want. If you want to include Harley in the Batman sequel, knock yourselves out. I liked BOP but I really wish they would have addressed what Batman was doing. It just didn’t seem right that he never showed.

r1g0r - 6/11/2020, 8:58 AM

i think that they (warner brothers) should get josh to do the movie.

all of it.
casting
writing (9 guaranteed sequels)
producing (yeah, put your $$$ where your mouth is)
directing
editing
2nd unit / effects filming
anything else they can think of

then, maybe he'll STFU about $#!T he doesn't know anything about.

jarcastanon - 6/11/2020, 9:45 AM

They should introduce Matt Reeves's Joker in the next Harley movie, maybe throw in a little Battinson. Nobody expects any continuity in the DCEU anymore, so...