Margot Robbie has been one of the biggest names in DC’s film slate for nearly a decade, thanks to her breakout performance as Harley Quinn. From the original David Ayer “Suicide Squad” to Birds of Prey to James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad,” she has been front and center whenever Warner Bros. needed the character to carry a movie. But according to Margot Robbie herself, James Gunn’s new DCU isn’t knocking on her door.
James Gunn introduces the trailer for Peacemaker Season 2 – YouTube, DC
In an interview with Variety, Robbie admitted that she hasn’t been approached about returning as Harley under the new continuity. Despite that, she doubled down on her affection for the role, declaring: “You can’t get sick of Harley.”
That’s a bold claim—because if there’s one DC character teetering on the edge of oversaturation, it’s Harley Quinn.
Harley Quinn Fatigue Is Setting In
Harley Quinn has been everywhere. Movies, an HBO Max animated series, countless comic book runs, multiple video games—there’s been no escaping the “Mistress of Mayhem” for years. She has arguably become more prominent than Batman or Superman in Warner’s output.
Harley Quinn in SSKTJL (2024), Rocksteady
But oversaturation comes at a cost. Fans are starting to question whether Harley’s overexposure has turned her from a fan favorite into a brand liability. Social media comments reflect growing fatigue, with some viewers admitting they’re simply “sick of Harley” at this point. That’s not because Margot Robbie isn’t talented, but because Warner Bros. and DC have run the character into the ground, taking her from the compelling cautionary tale victim villain creator Paul Dini envisioned into just another smirking stunning and brave “girl boss.”
James Gunn Plays Coy
When pressed on Robbie’s potential return, James Gunn refused to give a clear answer. Instead, he told fans that Harley’s future would be “revealed down the line.” That noncommittal statement fuels speculation that Gunn may be moving away from Harley as a centerpiece of the franchise.
James Gunn sits for an interview – YouTube, GQ
It would make sense. The new DC Universe is supposed to be a fresh start, and so far Gunn’s announced slate (Superman, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Brave and the Bold) doesn’t include Harley Quinn at all. If Robbie isn’t even being called in for talks, that suggests Gunn may see Harley as a holdover from the past rather than a priority for the future.
A screenshot from the intro to Peacemaker Season 2 – YouTube, DC
However, Gunn did keep the entire cast of Peacemaker intact as part of the DCU, and that show is a spinoff from “The Suicide Squad” where Robbie reprised the role of Harley Quinn. It stands to reason that if the events of that movie unfolded the same way in the DCU (as Peacemaker Season 2 implies) then Robbie would likely return as Harley Quinn again.
Robbie’s Harley: A Legacy Role
To be clear, Robbie’s Harley Quinn has been one of the rare success stories of the DCEU era. She’s consistently been praised by critics and fans alike, and she even produced Birds of Prey herself.
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in the DCEU – HBO Max
But Robbie’s own comment about Harley never getting old feels like wishful thinking. As much as audiences loved her past portrayals, DC’s over-reliance on her along changes made to the character to turn her into a PRIDE icon could be too much in the long run.
When fans are feeling fatigue, it’s not always about the performance—it’s about the corporate decision to milk a character nonstop and make ideological changes that fundamentally change everything everyone initially loved about them in the first place.
The Bottom Line
Margot Robbie says she hasn’t been contacted about James Gunn’s DCU. She insists Harley Quinn never gets old, but the reality is that DC has been overplaying the character for years. If Gunn decides to sideline Harley in favor of building up Superman, Batman, and new heroes, it may not be a snub to Robbie at all—it may just be common sense.
For all her talent, Robbie might be discovering that sometimes even the most popular characters need a rest. And maybe, just maybe, absence could make fans’ hearts grow fonder for Harley Quinn once again.
Do you want to see Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in the DCU? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
UP NEXT: REVIEW: Peacemaker Season 2 Premiere Proves DCU Is a James Gunn Vanity Project
Just like Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie is to old to play her Character anymore.
We need a NEW Actress to play Harley AND a GOOD Actor to play Joker.
Also I wouldn’t mind a stand alone Joker and Harley Film that shows us how Joker makes his Traps to kill Batman and stuff. It would be a NEW take on the Superhero genre to show the behind the scenes of the Villians. Keep it like Overlord where they are ACTUAL Villians, and not Anti-Heroes like in Suicide Squad.
Show them killing, rąping, robbing, etc and VERY gore heavy when needed!!!!!!!
Oh, I absolutely can get sick of her. I have been since she first debuted.
Robbie is nice to look at, but as soon as she took center stage in pretty much every post (first) suicide squad movie the character got old… fast. Harley isn’t a particularly complex character, though she has an interesting fall into her villain-hood, once you get past that you end up with one-note played ad-nauseum.
And the move to have ladies dress “less sexy” or whatever she said for Birds of Prey, was awful. Finally, she was the one who executed Batman in the most pedestrian way in the “Kill the Justice League” game. Even though they tried to walk it back it was an absolute bust for the character.
Harley is old-news. And Robbie isn’t getting any younger which means she’s losing more and more “Hollywood Value” while Gunn goes all “no comment”. Maybe he’s waiting for her to get wrinkles or something so he can get her for a bargain price.