Was Margot Robbie almost left out of Suicide Squad? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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When James Gunn put together The Suicide Squad, Warner Bros. didn’t plead for Robbie’s return. The studio raised their hands and said, “We love Margot, but do your thing; we’re cool.” Gunn spilled the tea to SlashFilm, revealing, “They said, ‘Listen, we love Margot, we would love it if she were back in the movie, but as long as you’re doing what you want to do … we don’t care.’” No big deal, huh? For a minute there, The Suicide Squad could’ve been Harley-free.
But how is that even possible? Gunn had complete creative freedom. And if he didn’t want to bring back Quinn for his version of the squad, he didn’t have to. But, being the genius that he is, Gunn kept what worked. Why mess with perfection, right? So, Robbie’s back, and Quinn gets to wreak more havoc in the most gloriously bonkers way possible.
But just because Robbie was on board doesn’t mean she was ready to jump into Harley’s shoes again. During the The Suicide Squad press tour, she admitted to Entertainment Weekly that she was about to toss Harley’s bat aside for a bit. “I need a break from Harley; she’s exhausting,” Robbie confessed. And honestly? Who wouldn’t need a breather after Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad back-to-back? That’s a lot of insanity to handle. But here’s the twist: Robbie wasn’t sure when—or if—Harley would return.
While fans wondered where Quinn would appear next, Robbie took over Hollywood. She was gearing up for Babylon, Damien Chazelle’s star-studded flick, and lining up more projects, including an untitled David O. Russell film. Oh, and did we mention Barbie? She brings the iconic doll to life in Greta Gerwig’s live-action take— and produces it, too. Talk about not slowing down.
With Warner Bros. working on multiple DCEU movies, there was no significant pressure to keep Harley in the spotlight. Plus, Robbie was slaying outside the DC universe, so they didn’t need her to carry the whole studio on her back. But here’s the thing—The Suicide Squad was Gunn’s playground. He had the freedom to kill off any character, even Harley. And guess what? She was totally on the chopping block.
But don’t freak out too much—Robbie herself teased that death is hardly ever permanent in the world of DC (and comics in general). “You pick up one comic, and someone’s dead, pick up the next, they’re back,” she said. Bam. Like that, characters come back, change, or reinvent themselves. It’s a classic comic book move, right? So, even if Harley bit the dust in The Suicide Squad, she could always pop up again. After all, when you’re Harley Quinn, you don’t just stay down for long.
