James Gunn, director of The Suicide Squad, prefers Harley Quinn over the Joker. Both characters are well-known Batman villains, with Joker making his debut all the way back in 1940. Harley Quinn made her debut over 50 years later in Batman: The Animated Series, but has quickly grown to become almost as famous as the Clown Prince of Crimes. Both characters have been included in a number of TV shows over the year, but the characters shared the screen most recently in 2016 for David Ayer’s Suicide Squad.
The Joker has, of course, had many live-action appearances before Jared Leto took on the role for Suicide Squad, but this would be the first time fans had ever seen a live-action version of Harley Quinn in film. Margot Robbie was chosen to play the character, a casting decision that was one of the few things praised about the film. In fact, Suicide Squad had a hard time connecting with both fans and critics. The film really started getting criticism early on when Jared Leto’s Joker design was first revealed. Leto’s portrayal of Joker was heavily criticized in Suicide Squad, which was likely partly because many of Joker’s scenes were cut from the finished product. Joker’s better half was able to connect more with fans, as well as with Gunn.
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While hosting an Instagram Q&A, Gunn revealed that he preferred Harley Quinn over the Joker. Gunn revealed that he loved Harley Quinn even before he began writing The Suicide Squad and that she has always been one of his favorite comic book characters since she debuted in the ’90s. Gunn’s full comment can be seen in the screenshot of his Instagram story below.
Despite Suicide Squad getting mixed to negative reviews, Margot returned as Harley Quinn this year for Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Robbie’s Harley Quinn will return in The Suicide Squad, but that may not be the end of her character just yet. It was revealed back in 2017 that a Harley Quinn and Joker solo movie was in development, but that seems highly unlikely to happen at this point given the backlash Warner Bros. saw from Leto’s Joker. Harley Quinn is more likely to next appear in Gotham City Sirens, a film that would see Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman team up. Not only does Robbie want to return for Gotham City Sirens, but the critical success of Birds of Prey could help push the film along.
Joker is often considered Batman’s most popular villain, but not when it comes to the DCEU. Most fans prefer Robbie’s Harley Quinn over Leto’s Joker, mainly because of the way the characters were initially handled in Suicide Squad. Robbie and Will Smith got the most screen time in Suicide Squad, which allowed Harley and Deadshot to have proper character development, unlike the Joker. Harley Quinn may be a newer villain compared to the Joker in general, but Gunn seems genuinely thrilled that he gets to include one of his favorite comic characters in The Suicide Squad.
Source: James Gunn
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