This character burst onto the scene in BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, in 1992, and her popularity has been growing rapidly ever since. Harley has changed a lot since her animated debut and has become a big part of the DC comic universe across all mediums.
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When an original character is created outside the comics and becomes so popular that comic book writers decide to include them in DC canon, you know you have something special. The appeal of Harley is easy to see: a female version of the Joker who is corrupted by the clown prince and driven to insanity. Prior to Harley, the Joker had been mainly a one-man-show who used random henchmen whenever he saw fit. She served as a worthy sidekick (at first) and became someone who would go head-to-head with Batman as well as the Joker.
The character really came into her own during DC's New 52 comic book relaunch and became a big part of Task Force X. With her inclusion in the Batman Arkham video game series, Harley seemed to have appeared in every type of medium except for the one fans wanted most... live action.
For a few quick minutes, it seemed she would make a big appearance on the CW’s ARROW as a member of the TV’s adaption of the Suicide Squad. But once Warner Bros. got the idea for a SUICIDE SQUAD movie, courtesy of writer and director David Ayer, the plans for a TV version were scrapped. Fans, then, immediately began dream casting and Margot Robbie’s name came up right away. Fresh off her star making turn in WOLF OF WALL STREET, Robbie was the perfect fit to portray Harleen Quinzel. One of those rare times when fans and producers agreed on a casting choice.
Harley Quinn is peaking in popularity at just the right time. In recent years, anti-heroes have become extremely popular — Deadpool being a prime example — and there's been an outcry among moviegoers for female focused comic book movies. SUICIDE SQUAD is a combination of these two factors and looks like it may serve as a jumping off point for more female driven DC properties to be adapted.
There are already talks about a Harley-led women of DC movie which shows how confident Warner Bros. and DC Films are in Robbie and her ability to bring Harley to life. The expectations are sky-high but all the trailers so far lead us to believe that Robbie will truly deliver as Harley Quinn.
Written by Tim Miller, DC Films Correspondent -- Click to read Tim's posts
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